Every Father's Son
by criminally charmed
Summary: A crossover with Thunderbirds movieverse. Lucas Wolenczak meets Alan Tracy, they are put at risk from Marilyn Stark's quest for revenge. The seaQuest Crew teams with the Thunderbirds to rescue the teens. set in season 1 of seaQuest. now complete
1. Chapter 1

**Every Father's Son**

Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series.

**Chapter One – A Father's Grief**

George Le Chein sat in his luxurious Jamaican compound. Most men would have loved the view of the azure waters and sparkling white sandy beaches. Most men would have been smug that so much of the lush foliage that surrounded them belonged to him alone. Most men would have gloried in the knowledge that they possessed the wealth and power to belong in such a life.

Most men had not just found out that their only son was dead.

Oh, he had suspected it. After all, it had been more than six months since he had sent his son, Maxwell, along with former Nor-Pac Captain Marilyn Stark, in a Delta Four submarine to draw out and destroy the seaQuest. The seaQuest DSV – Deep Submersible Vessel – had been Nor-Pac Commands greatest military achievement. The leviathan had been a formidable weapon for them. And then, following the ignoble end of Captain Stark's command of the vessel – as well as the end of her naval career – Nor-Pac gave – _gave_ – the billions of dollars and years of work invested in the sub away by turning the submarine over to the newly formed United Earth Oceans. The UEO spent over a year and millions more dollars to turn the craft from a mighty weapon of war to a research vessel, dedicated to be both a peacekeeper of the final earthbound frontier – the oceans – as well as devoted to deep sea exploration.

Prior to the formation of the UEO, Le Chein Enterprises had held more than fifty undersea outposts, garnering him wealth from the bounty of the seas. Minerals, petroleum, coral were all his for the taking. Once the UEO was formed, Le Chein had been left with less than ten. Then the confederation began to make plans to take away more of his property in the name of peace and harmony. _"What,"_ he had asked, _"does peace and harmony have to do with business?" _

It had all seemed so simple. Outfit a former Russian submarine with a hand-picked team, loyal to Le Chein, send his son and heir along to supervise, and hire the dishonored and disgruntled former Captain of the seaQuest. Marilyn Stark was beautiful, in an ice-cold way, and known for her strategic brilliance in combat situations. Unfortunately, Stark was also known for an itchy trigger finger and a bloodlust for combat. She wanted her name to go down in the history books with as much glory as her forefathers. Instead, Stark had been forced from the service and disgraced – no high schools would be named for her. But her ignominy had played right into Le Chein's plans. Stark had claimed that she had already set the seaQuest up for defeat; she merely wanted to be there when her former command was trounced for good.

Turning his back on the tranquil scene outside his palatial home, George Le Chein eyed the messenger with contempt. He despised her for the failure to deliver on her promises. He loathed her for surviving when his beloved son had not. But most of all, he hated Marilyn Stark for being the one to destroy any hope he might have that Maxwell might still be alive.

"Mr. Le Chein, I can not tell you how sorry I am about Maxwell." Stark, calculatingly, put a slight quiver in her voice before she continued. "I owe that young man my life. I was injured and helpless when the seaQuest, in an underhanded move, attacked our vessel. Maxwell managed to get me to the mini-sub, then went back to try and get more of our crew. But the seaQuest, even though we were already damaged and vulnerable, continued her assault. When the emergency systems were damaged, the mini-sub was cast free. I don't know how long I was unconscious and helpless, before I was rescued by a rogue freighter from the Western Alliance. It was several months before I recovered enough to return, discreetly of course, to UEO territory."

Stark injected a tremor before going forward in her unrelenting monologue. "I spent considerable time, all of my resources and nearly every penny I had trying to find out what happened to my crew. I finally discovered that they were being held as terrorists – enemies of the state. They were being held without trial at Guantanamo Bay."

Le Chein simply nodded. He had found out that much himself. But he had been unable to find out if his son was alive or not. The crew had refused to identify themselves, so as not to be linked to his business. He knew some of them had died in the sub, while a few more had died after being captured. But as long as no one told him otherwise, Le Chein could hold out the hope that Maxwell was alive.

As the grieving father reached out a trembling hand to shuffle through the autopsy photos that Stark had handed him earlier, he missed the calculating look on her face. Tracing his only child's beloved features, Le Chein lowered his head so that the icy blonde woman in front of him could not see the moisture that had gathered in his eyes. "Someone will pay for your loss, _mein_ _kind_. I vow before I join you in eternity, I will avenge your death."

Turning away from the despondent parent, Stark knew she had him just where she wanted him. It was time to play her winning hand. She could avenge herself upon the UEO, the seaQuest, but most of all – she could get revenge upon Nathan Hale Bridger. Captain of the seaQuest, Bridger had been the mastermind of her defeat. With the aid of the grief-stricken Le Chein, Stark would make Bridger and all of the seaQuest suffer by proxy.

"You know you can make them suffer." Stark looked out at the sparkling surf, utterly blind to the beauty of the vista. She felt more than saw Le Chein raise his head. Hiding her satisfied smirk, Stark continued. "You have lost your irreplaceable treasure, your child. An eye for eye, I believe is the expression. Captain Bridger, the whole of the seaQuest, can suffer with the loss of its heart."

Le Chein shook his head. "Bridger has no family. I looked into using them as leverage to gain information on my son. His son Robert died while serving in the military. His wife Carol died just over a year ago. There was no other family."

"No, but there is his crew – and among his crew is Lucas Wolenczak."

Raising his brow, Le Chein shrugged his shoulders. "And Lucas Wolenczak is…?"

Her back still to Le Chein, Stark pursued her plan. "The boy is part of the science contingency aboard the seaQuest. He graduated from Stanford at age fourteen with a Masters in Artificial Intelligence. Lucas was the one who uncovered my computer virus that should have left the seaQuest helpless. He turned sixteen aboard the sub. The boy is treated as a little brother by most of the crew. And to Captain Bridger, young Wolenczak is his son. Lucas Wolenczak is in fact the son of a well-known scientist who has all but abandoned the boy. Yet the boy has apparently never been happier. He has excitement, challenges and a family he has created on board the sub. And Bridger loves the boy, who in turn views Bridger more as a father than his own. Seize Lucas Wolenczak; you will be snatching up one of the greatest resources in the UEO, as well as the heart of the seaQuest. You will have the joy of Nathan Bridger's life. If you have lost what is most precious to you, why should Bridger and the seaQuest have their precious one?"

Stark's smile was cold and calculating as she saw Le Chein consider her words. She knew his heart had been shattered and he was looking for others to share his pain. His pain would become her vengeance. _"Well, well, Captain Bridger,"_ Stark mused. _"The student will become the master. I will see you suffer for my humiliation. And if it takes a so-called innocent… Well, it is time for the seaQuest to learn, there are no innocents."_

_**a/n - I always thought Stark made a hell of a villain. She deserved to come back, she was truly warped. **_

_**I know some people who read my Thunderbirds series may read this with no clue about seaQuest and many who love seaQuest don't know the Thunderbirds. Please introduce yourselves, as you will get to know them both in upcoming chapters. The action will take a few chapters as the characters begin to blend. And to my readers from before: No daily updates. Once, maybe twice a week. Sorry. Life is happening. Enjoy - and if anyone from either fandom gets confused, PM me and I will be glad to explain characters or situations. - CC**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Every Father's Son**

**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest DSV - if I did the third season and some of the second season would have never happened. As this is a crossover with the Thunderbirds Movie, I do not own that either, as it would then be the Thunderbirds Live Action Series.**

**Chapter two: Father Figure**

Captain Nathan Hale Bridger hummed as he strode purposefully through D deck aboard the seaQuest. Here on his boat his life had meaning and purpose again. Here on the seaQuest he had a sense of belonging, even of family. And the most precious part of his family was Lucas Wolenczak.

Lucas had only been fifteen when he had been all but abandoned by his father, Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak, a principal investor in the seaQuest. The man's obsessive work in World Power, an undersea power plant, had cost the scientist his marriage. His ex-wife had left him and their son while Lucas was attending Stanford. While the boy had obtained his Master's degree by age fourteen, Dr. Wolenczak had agreed to have custody of their son – since his former wife maintained that "starting a new life would be too hard holding onto the entrails of her former life" – but he had assumed that the boy would want to continue with his schooling, perhaps going for his doctoral thesis. But Lucas had wanted to begin to experience life beyond the classroom. Lawrence simply didn't have time to be a full-time father. The scientist saw the seaQuest, now refitted as a research vessel, as the perfect solution. The UEO had been happy to agree, as it gave them full time access to potentially one of the greatest minds of his generation.

Some of the teenager's accomplishments aboard the seaQuest were already remarkable and, if not for the fact that they had been classified on the highest level, would mark Lucas as one of the leading scientists of their age. Lucas had created a "vocoder" a device which translated language between their resident dolphin "Darwin" and his human crewmates (as Darwin thought of the two legged mammals); with Lt. Commander Katie Hitchcock, the third officer, they had perfected an amazing one-man sub that mimicked the movements of a fish, which they called (after much arguing) "the Stinger". Lucas had also reworked most of the software, making it harder for anyone to tamper with the sub's computer systems. His tweaks of the system had also made the sub work at a higher efficiency. And his work on the Artificial Intelligence system was amazing and was sure to bring the boy even greater acclaim some day. But Lucas' greatest achievement was an intangible one – he had made a crew into a family.

When Bridger had first arrived (very reluctantly) aboard the sub, the hostility between the scientific contingency and the military hovered in the air, choking you much as a smoke filled room would. But in time, between the fine line Bridger walked among the two groups and the relaxed, yet professional, atmosphere that many drew from the presence of a fifteen-year-old on board the seaQuest allowed the polar opposite groups to find a middle ground they could all live with.

Bridger himself knew that one of the reasons he remained on board the seaQuest was due to the cocky yet vulnerable youth. Having lost his own son, Robert, years ago, and his wife not long afterwards, Nathan had been determined to remain in seclusion on his private island in the Yucatan. There he didn't have to become involved, there he felt nothing. When then Admiral William Noyce (now the Secretary General of the UEO) came to him, dragging his old friend kicking and screaming back to the real world, Nathan knew that Bill would have – reluctantly perhaps – allowed him to return to his self-imposed exile. But once Bridger had first met Lucas, the impenetrable walls he had placed around his wounded heart had begun to be breached by the emotionally starved teenager. No matter how many times the captain became frustrated in the strange new world the UEO's existence had created (as well as the politics of the old one), it was the continued presence of the boy he now loved – not as a replacement for his dead child, but as a second son. Neither biologically nor legally was Lucas his son, but you couldn't tell Nathan's heart that. Lucas was more his son than he had ever been the Wolenczaks. The boy belonged on the seaQuest and he belonged with Nathan Bridger.

Pausing in front of Lucas' quarters, Nathan couldn't help by grin as he knocked on the teen's door. The door swung open, as Lucas blinked owlishly the captain. "Cap'n?" The youth muttered, and then suddenly yawned widely. At Nathan's grin, Lucas defended himself. "Hey, you are the one who told me to go get some sleep."

Laughing, Bridger guided Lucas back into his room, settling the sixteen-year-old in a chair before sitting down himself. "Because you were falling asleep while repairing O'Neill's station; you've been pushing yourself too hard, Kiddo. Are you still having nightmares?" Lucas' blank face gave Bridger his answer. Shortly after Lucas' sixteenth birthday, the boy had been asked by the former Secretary General of the UEO, Andrea Dre, to speak at a conference of the confederations representatives. Not knowing that Dre was a traitor, the conference was a trap or that the primary reason for having Lucas there was as a cudgel to use against the seaQuest and her crew – especially Bridger – the captain had been paternally proud of the young man being asked to share his accomplishments. But the end result had been Lucas and the delegates being trapped in a hidden room where their abductors had tried to drown them by flooding the room. He knew Lucas had woken up in terror repeatedly, convinced that this time Bridger had not arrived in time to save them. Captain Bridger wondered if the teenager knew how Darwin had taken to hanging out in the access tube near Lucas' cot, watching the boy try and sleep.

Anxious to distract the youth, Bridger smiled at the blonde. "Well, Kiddo, I just thought you might like to know, we are heading for a conference." Seeing the bright blue eyes fill with fear, he continued on hastily. "Don't worry. It's in a secure convention center located next to the UEO HQ on Pearl. In fact, every room has been taken up by the UEO - military, politicians and scientists. I even secured a fairly nice room for you and me. Now, should I be nice and have Krieg bunk with O'Neill or with Commander Ford?" Lucas chuckled at that. While Supply and Morale Officer Ben Krieg usually downplayed his teasing of the bright and gentle communications officer, Tim O'Neill, there was something about the Jonathan Ford that made Ben just want to annoy the hell out of his executive officer. Maybe it was the man's rigid attitude or his self-confident air. More than likely, Bridger would wager, it had been that when the tour had started, Ford had been in a relationship that had since petered out with Commander Hitchcock. And the captain would be willing to wager that Krieg was still in love with his ex-wife – even if he did now have to salute her.

Moving closer to the teenager, Bridger knelt beside him to place a companionable arm around the slender shoulders. "Now, Kiddo, I will have to be in meetings and attending seminars for the most part. You, however, will only be needed for a couple. That means a week upworld, on beautiful Hawaiian beaches or lounging by a pool. Oh, and the resort has a five star kitchen. So good food is a guarantee, while junk food – a requirement as I recall for all teenage boys," – Lucas grinned- "will also be available. So, Kiddo, are you up for a week of fun and sun?"

Bridger left the teenager excitedly looking up the resort on the internex, while reviewing his information on several ongoing projects that the powers-that-be of the UEO would want to hear about. Dr. Kristen Westphalen, head of the science contingency aboard the seaQuest and chief medical officer smiled as she emerged from the shadows in the nearby hallway. "So, have you succeeded in distracting Lucas? How do you think he'll feel when he realizes he will be the only child at the resort?"

Smiling, the captain made sure no one was around before quickly giving Kristen a kiss. "Now, Kristen, he won't be the only kid there. After all, Ben will be coming along as well."

Back in his room, Lucas had broken off his other work to chat with a fellow hacker in a game room. _Hey, Phoenix_, Lucas typed, _no hear from lately. How did your finals turn out?_

Phoenix responded. _Great. Thanks for the help on my science paper. The information on dolphins was perfect. I can't wait for my dad to see my report card. It came out better than it has been in years. Just wanted to warn you, Frankenstein, I will be in a different time zone for the summer. I go to school on the Eastern Seaboard, but live near New Zealand. Way too close to Australian territory for my liking sometimes, but still technically in UEO territory. The world outside the internex is just too complicated sometimes, you know?_

Lucas, aka Frankenstein, grinned as he typed._ Yeah, well what do you expect in a world where everyone in charge is over eighteen?_

Signing off Lucas smiled at the laptop. Phoenix had been a lifesaver since the incident at the conference. He had only come across the hacker once or twice before, but a couple of months ago Phoenix had begun being online a lot more. In between games, the other boy had admitted to suffering nightmares after what he would only describe as "something pretty scary happening". Neither hacker had gone into details, but both knew the other had recently undergone a traumatic experience and found that just hanging out in cyber space and talking helped. He knew Phoenix was looking forward to going home and spending some time with his family. His father had even promised to spend some alone time with him. Lucas just hoped the other boy wouldn't be too disillusioned, much as his own father had always disappointed him. But the captain on the other hand… He wondered if Robert Bridger had ever appreciated what a great father he had been blessed with. Lucas Wolenczak may not have been born into the most loving or supportive family dynamics, but he knew how lucky he was to have the family he had created on the seaQuest

Thousands of miles away, in a dorm room on the campus of an exclusive boys' boarding school in Massachusetts, Alan Tracy closed up his laptop. The last couple of months, since the invasion of his home/ the home base for International Rescue – aka The Thunderbirds – a secret rescue organization run by his father, ex-astronaut Jeff Tracy and manned by his brothers, by a villain known as The Hood, Alan had suffered some pretty severe nightmares. Well, having your home invaded, your family threatened and then being nearly killed by a mad man you hadn't even known existed, would do that to a kid. Before he had returned to school, Jeff had made Alan a part of International Rescue. The young blonde fingered his IR pin, which he always carried with him. It helped with the homesickness the fifteen-year-old often felt, and gave him an emotional boost of feeling as if his family was right there with him.

Frankenstein had also been great. He didn't know what had happened to his fellow hacker, but he did know it had been traumatic to the other boy. Alan had figured if he was going to have trouble sleeping, he may as well work to pull his grades up and assure his father that Alan was worthy to be a Thunderbird, worthy to be Jeff Tracy's son. People expected a lot of Alan simply because he was a Tracy – over achievement was the every day in his family. Heading out into cyberspace to do research, Alan had been taking a break in an on-line game room when he started a conversation with Frankenstein. They would probably never meet face to face but Alan knew he had made a good friend – even if they were never in the same time zone.

"A-Alan?" The youngest Tracy looked up as his roommate and best friend, Fermat Hackenbacker, came into the room. "My d-dad is here, Alan. Are you r-ready to go?"

Alan stood up and grabbed his computer bag and one of his suitcases. Hiram "Brains" Hackenbacker came into the room, picking up the rest of the luggage. The chief engineer for International Rescue/ Tracy Industries and his son lived in their own villa on Tracy Island, the private property of the reclusive billionaire. As he greeted the youngest Tracy son, Brains smiled at the thought of the surprise Jeff had for his son. The billionaire had been asked to attend a conference for the UEO in Hawaii and Jeff had agreed as long as the organization understood that Jeff would only be attending a few of the meetings. He wanted to spend some quality time with his son. With Alan away at boarding school most of the year, Jeff had limits on his available time to be with his youngest. But with International Rescue's space station, Thunderbird Five, still offline after the attack by the Hood, and Five's chief pilot, the second oldest Tracy son, astronomer John Tracy, now fully recovered from the injuries he had suffered in the attack, there were enough Thunderbirds available for Jeff to head to the conference at Pearl Harbor, the UEO headquarters, and meet up with Alan. Brains would be dropping Alan off in Hawaii before heading back to Tracy Island and eventually up to Five in order to work on some of the repairs. Fermat was even coming along, some time for father and son, as well as a chance for the younger Hackenbacker to embrace his new position within International Rescue.

Brains knew that Alan would not be all that impressed with a vacation in Hawaii. After all, they lived on a tropical island to begin with. But a week of being the center of Jeff Tracy's attention? To Alan, that would be priceless.

**_a/n - I have read, as well as written, a few stories where Alan - unbeknown to his family - was a rather good hacker. I rather liked the idea and thought it was a great way for these two to meet. To have them just happen to be at the same place and absolutely bond seemed implausible - if only becaue Lucas is so... Lucas. But, as I have discovered in the world of the internet (especially fan fiction) you can become friends with someone without ever actually meeting. _**

**_I was thrilled to realize how many people were fans of both shows, and that others were willing to give the idea a go. And for the seaQuest world, yes, I know, Bridger and Kristen were just becoming "more than friends" at the end of season 1 (and that is one of the things I would have changed about season 2), but I prefer them as a low-key couple. So I moved things up a bit. In my story, they are an established, if discreet, couple. But not much will be about that as this is a father/son story. In the Thunderbirds movie, I often wanted to shake the father and give him hell. He was so busy saving the world, he often seemed to forget about the "son left beind". So in my stories, he is trying to make up for that and you can see his reasoning at times, that it wasn't neglect but was instead overprotectiveness. Thanks again to my beta (she is the best!) and to all those who reviewed. I live for those notes in my in-box. - CC_**


	3. Chapter 3

**Every Father's Son**

Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series.

**Chapter Three – A Father's Pride**

Brains stood on the curb as Alan pulled out a small suitcase and a carryon bag. Once airborne, the scientist had told the youngest Tracy about his father's plans. Alan had excitedly rearranged his luggage, making sure he would have what he needed for a week's vacation with the Tracy patriarch. Brains couldn't recall the last time he had seen Alan so happy or excited. It was definitely the most exuberant the fifteen-year-old had been since Spring Break and the whole disaster with the Hood.

Alan Tracy smiled as he gave Brains a quick hug before touching a fist with Fermat. "Man, I can't believe you get to go to…" Alan looked around quickly before lowering his voice slightly. "You get to go to Five first."

Fermat grinned. "W-well, A-Alan, if w-we ever w-want to g-get her b-back online, the g-geeks n-need to be up there first."

Returning his best friend's grin, Alan gave a short laugh. "Yeah, and poor me, I'll be playing tourist with Dad and hanging out around the pool when he's busy."

"Why n-not the b-beach, Alan?" Brains asked, curious.

Alan mouth made a slight moue. "Do you really see Dad letting me head off to a public beach by myself?"

Smiling at the thought of the almost endearing sense of over-protectiveness the billionaire had towards his youngest son, Brains acknowledged the truth in Alan's words. Alan was a male version of his late mother, in both appearance and temperament. Lucy Tracy had been beautiful and loving but was the one person who would routinely go toe-to-toe with Jeff Tracy. Lucy had died in an avalanche when Alan was only three, while on a ski trip with the entire family. Oldest son Scott, as well as the two blonde sons, John and Alan, had been with Lucy near their rented cabin, while the other two Tracy sons, Virgil and Gordon, had been off skiing with Jeff. The three boys had been injured – none seriously – when the avalanche had buried the area wherethey had been building a snowman. But Lucy had been killed. Her death had been the inspiration for International Rescue and while he knew that Jeff was proud of the fact that his family had saved so many lives, sparing others the devastation of that kind of loss, the man still felt the pain of his beloved wife's death daily.

An adrenaline junky like the rest of his family, Alan had resented the manner in which Jeff had tried to reign in his "wild child". The boy had also missed his family desperately when he was sent away to school. But even when he was home, Jeff had tried to keep Alan away from the Thunderbirds, which made the teenager feel even more alienated from the rest of the Tracys. The arguments between the two had reached legendary proportions by the time Alan had last been home.

Then there had been the invasion by the Hood, the near death of the other Tracys aboard the space station and Alan's own close call with the villain. Alan's actions that day – which had led to the safe return of his family as well as the Hood's defeat – had shown Jeff Tracy that Alan was finally taking his words to heart. Alan was growing up, maturing at a near alarming rate. Brains wasn't sure Jeff had noticed how much more solemn and reserved Alan had been since the Hood's attack. But considering that Jeff was going out of his way to make sure he and Alan were going to get some "bonding" time, the scientist suspected that Jeff was aware of the situation and was using the conference as an excuse to spend some quality time with his youngest. Brains smiled as Alan walked into the resort, before climbing back into the cab. He had to get back to the airport with Fermat if they were to keep the flight plan he had filed before hand.

* * *

Bridger smiled as Lucas shoved "just one more thing" into his bag. All the paperwork for funding for the "new and improved" Stinger had been filed and Lucas was anxious to show why it should be approved by the UEO. 

"You know Lucas," the captain laughed. "If you have all the information on hand, you can either wow the powers that be of the UEO or maybe even impress whoever the hell this bigwig is that Bill Noyce wants to dazzle."

Lucas looked puzzled. "Wait. There is someone we are supposed to impress but we don't get to know who?"

Nodding, Bridger picked up one of Lucas' bags. "Who ever it is, they must be someone who is important and likes to stay out of the public eye. I would wager someone who is very rich, very important and very reclusive. Someone the UEO feels is vital in some manner." Grimacing, Nathan put an arm around the teenager as they left Lucas' room and walked towards the shuttle. "Most people will get to relax before the Opening Banquet tonight; we get the happy-happy of taking our mystery guest on a tour of seaQuest after we check in."

"Um, Captain, you mean _you_ get to give a tour, right? I mean, I'm a civilian…I'm sixteen, who wants a tour from a sixteen-year-old?"

Entering the shuttle, Bridger secured Lucas' bags – having already sent his own ahead – then pulled the boy into a seat as the shuttle got under way. "Nope; Bill was specific. For some reason, he wants both of us available. He said something about you being useful in this situation." Laughing, Nathan just shrugged. "Don't worry Kiddo. I am sure Bill has a good excuse. After that whole dolphin football thing…"

Remembering the incident in question, Lucas gave a short laugh of his own. "Hey, Darwin and I won in sudden death overtime, didn't we?"

Bridger just smiled, happy to see the teenager was beginning to relax. Yeah, maybe this time spent upworld was just what the doctor ordered.

* * *

Alan had finished checking in at the front desk, and was reading the note that had been left by his father. _"Alan, I needed to discuss a few things with Secretary General Noyce. Go on ahead up to the room, I will meet you there. I have a surprise for you. And no, I am not saying what it is yet – then it wouldn't be a surprise."_ Alan grimaced; his father really did know him way too well. _"But I will tell you this much: Your brothers – especially Gordon – are going to be green with envy. And it will even floor Fermat, so he can't say anything about his "road trip" in comparison."_ Sweet; anything that gave him the rung up on the food chain that was his family. Alan loved his brothers but all of the Tracy boys had a serious competitive streak. He knew his brothers had encouraged their dad to take advantage of this conference to spend some one-on-one time with Alan. Just as he knew John had already told his father that he wanted to take Alan camping before Five became operational again. But he had better act surprised for that one. Brains might be able to keep International Rescue's secrets well but in some other things… 

Consumed with reading the note, Alan failed to notice two somewhat intoxicated sailors from one of the UEO aircraft carriers. Bumping into one of the men, the fifteen-year-old bounced back slightly, avoiding the drink the man spilled. "Oops. Sorry about that." Alan quickly apologized and then made to move to the elevators. Suddenly, he felt a hand roughly clasp his arm and turn him around.

"You stupid little punk – you spilled my drink. Get me another one."

Alan raised an eyebrow as he assumed his cockiest stance. "One – I didn't spill the drink, you did. Two – You shouldn't be drinking like that in uniform; two of my brothers were in the service, I know the rules. Three – Dude, I am fifteen. They so do not – or at least should not – sell alcohol to fifteen-year-olds. And I know for a fact that the Secretary General of the UEO is at this resort as we speak, so if I were you, I would head up to my room for a cold shower and a fresh uniform."

One of the drunks blocked Alan's path to the elevators while the other menaced him. "Hey, Buck, I bet I know who we have here." Alan tensed; his father had successfully kept his picture from the media for years. The last published picture of the youngest Tracy had been taken at his mother's funeral. And Alan was fairly sure he looked rather different from the picture of the sobbing toddler held tightly by the grief-stricken Jeff that had been seen around the world. It was for Alan's security so that while he was growing up, he could have as normal a life as possible – and the safest.

"It's the seaQuest's pet boy genius. I heard all about him from a friend of mine. A blonde haired, blue eyed teenager with a cocky as hell attitude. Kid is like some kind of massive braniac." The sailor stopped and glared at Alan again as the teen started to laugh.

"G-genius? Me? Dude, can you repeat that for my brothers some time? That's a good one!" Alan, still laughing, made to move away only to have one of the sailor's grasp him in a choke hold. Acting instinctively – and under careful instructions from his brother Scott, a former Air Force pilot and forth degree black belt – Alan slammed the heel of his left foot down hard on his captor who immediately let him loose. Seeing the other man move to grab him, Alan swung his carry-on bag into the man's gut, sending him flying back. When the first man made to attack again, Alan quickly seized the sailor's collar and hurled the man - who was already off-balance- face first into the elevator.

Smugly, Alan glared down at the man who was now bleeding profusely all over his – thankfully for him, dark blue – uniform, while clutching his face and muttering, "By nothe, by nothe! I think he boke by nothe!"

Nodding with satisfaction, Alan adjusted his luggage as he muttered, "Good, that was my intention." But before Alan could resume his journey to the elevators, a hand snaked out and grabbed his arm once more. Whirling around to face the newest threat, Alan looked up in surprise at a stern-looking African-American man.

"Lucas…" the man, a Commander Jonathon Ford according to his name tag, froze and assumed an apologetic stance. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else."

Looking at the commander's badge more closely, Alan gave a small smile when he read the words "seaQuest" under the man's name. "No problem, Commander. Let me guess – you thought I was someone named Lucas, who is blonde, with blue eyes, approximately my age and works on your sub." Alan's smile became a full blown grin at the surprised look on not only the commander's face but on the two men behind him. One man – O'Neill by his badge, wore glasses, but both men (the other's badge read Krieg) were white men of average height with brown hair. The mischievous smile on the face of the one named Benjamin Krieg reminded Alan of his brother, Gordon, while the gentle but solemn look of the bespectled O'Neill brought his brother, John, to mind. Motioning to the two men on the floor behind him, the blonde smiled again. "They were saying something about a teen genius from the seaQuest of my general description and you just called me Lucas but my name is Alan. Can I go now?'

O'Neill frowned. "I thought it was only supposed to be UEO people here this week. Not even spouses of the bigwigs are allowed."

Ford also frowned. "Good point. I think you need to come with me, young man. O'Neill, Krieg, make sure our two party boys get medical attention and then returned to their ship. And make sure the Officer on Duty knows that they were taken out by a kid."

As Ford began to pull Alan along, the teenager tried to protest. "Listen, dude," at Ford's glare, Alan realized his error. "I mean, Commander, I am supposed to be here. My dad is in a meeting with Secretary Noyce and left a message for me to meet him in our suite. See," he held up his card key. "Card key – allowed to check in, theoretical to be here. My dad is gonna really flip if I am not waiting where I am supposed to."

"Young man…"

"Alan, dude, my name is Alan." At Ford's glare, Alan grinned at the older man. "Hey, if you get to keep calling me young man then I get to rock the boat right back."

Bridger and Lucas entered the resort's lobby to see Commander Ford pulling on the arm of a young, blonde teenager. Bridger approximated the boy to be maybe a little younger than Lucas but slightly taller and more athletic in his build. Before the captain could question exactly what his XO was doing, someone wanted to know –rather loudly – precisely the same thing.

"What the blazes do you think you are doing with my son?"

Alan couldn't help it. He had to smirk. It was nice to hear his father giving someone besides him hell for once. "Dad, I tried to get to the suite but this guy wants to bust me for what…Being here?"

Secretary Noyce looked torn between fury and humiliation. In a placating voice, he spoke up, "Mr. Tracy, may I introduce Nathan Bridger, Captain of the seaQuest, Lucas Wolenczak, the young man you and I have been discussing, and the soon to be ex-Commander Jonathon Ford if he doesn't release that boy immediately." Ford couldn't let go of Alan's arm quickly enough. "Nathan, Lucas, may I introduce Jeff Tracy, former astronaut – now, Nathan, don't hold that against him – and founder and head of Tracy Industries, one of the largest civilian contributors to the seaQuest when she was refitted to a research vessel. We have been trying to lure Mr. Tracy to one of our conferences for the last couple of years. It just so happened that this conference coincided with the same time that Mr. Tracy had planned on taking a vacation with his son. So I made a bargain – attend just a few meetings and the rest of the time is for you and…Alan isn't it?"

Alan smiled politely and shook the Secretary's hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir. I hope my being here won't be an inconvenience."

Noyce smiled at the teenager. "Alan, to get your dad here I would let him have bring all five of his sons."

Jeff barked out a short laugh. "With all due respect, I never thought you Navy guys were that brave to take on all of my boys."

Bridger couldn't help but laugh with that. "A real handful, huh?"

Smiling at the other man, Jeff shook his head. "No, each of them separately is a handful. En masse? You don't have enough manpower to deal with my wild bunch."

Alan frowned. "Dad…We aren't that bad. Usually."

Ford now frowned as well. "This coming from a kid who just broke one guy's nose and another man's shoulder?"

Alan shrugged. "Actually, I think his shoulder was only dislocated. What a wimp – no pain tolerance." At the narrow-eyed glance directed at him by his only parent, Alan defended himself. "Self-defense, Dad, I swear. They were intoxicated and getting violent." When it was clear that Jeff's anger was seeking a new target, his son grinned. "But the commander here sent them back to their ship – not the seaQuest, by the way – with two of his men, and made it clear they are to let people know that a fifteen-year-old kid took them down. Scott made sure I learned some mad moves when I was home on Spring Break. Said he wanted to make sure I could take care of myself in case…in case you guys weren't around."

The others watched as the two Tracys stared at each other. Something between fear and sorrow was reflected in their eyes. Jeff Tracy shook himself out of his funk first, smiling and reaching out to hug his youngest. "Alan, we really miss you when you go off to school." Leaning back he looked down into his son's bright blue eyes. "Isn't this the point where you remind me of all the great home-schooling programs out there?"

Alan grinned. "Nope, I've come to realize that if the guys didn't kill me within a month, I would be bored to death in two. Besides, can't earn that place on the Fall Track Team from Tracy Island and I couldn't have the fun of pulling this out…" He pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and handed it to Jeff. "And watching the look on your face, Dad."

Jeff smiled and hugged his son again. "Alan, three A's, two B plusses and a B minus… OK, so you have to work a bit on the math but…I'm very proud of you, son." As the two hugged once more, Bridger and Ford couldn't help but notice the mixture of sadness and envy that crossed Lucas' face. Yeah, the report card was good, but Lucas had received a Masters from Stanford when he was a year younger than Alan was now. If they recalled Lucas' comment on that, his father had his secretary send a card and a check while his mother hadn't noticed at all. The teenager didn't have a mean bone in his body but the officers both knew that slither of envy that was passing through him was understandable.

Glad to see the businessman once more in a positive mood, Noyce decided to push his advantage. "Well, Mr. Tracy, I am sure that Commander Ford would be happy to take the boys' luggage to their rooms so that Captain Bridger and Lucas can escort you and your son on the tour of seaQuest--"

"No freaking way!" Alan interrupted. "We actually get to see the seaQuest? THE seaQuest? Sweet!"

Jeff laughed as he kept one arm around his son, holding the boy to his side. Bridger smiled, a little sad. His own son Robert was gone and the man regretted never being as close to him as Tracy obviously was with his son. But he did have Lucas, and if they were both saddened by the "could-have-beens" of their lives, they also knew to be thankful for what they did have. "Mr. Tracy?" Jeff looked over at Bridger. "If you and your son would come this way, Lucas and I would be happy to give you the tour of seaQuest."

As the foursome departed, their voices fell back towards Noyce and Ford. "Captain Bridger, please, call me Jeff. I always want to turn around and look for my father when someone close to my own age calls me Mr. Tracy."

Noyce looked at Ford. "Do you know how many men here would kill for that casual invitation?" Ford's smile only became wider when he heard Lucas' words trail back.

"Hey, Alan, do like dolphins?"

**_a/n - Oops, before I do anything else, I would like to state a correction. Tanpopo no hana was kind enough to point out that when Le Chein said "Kinder" in ch 1, he should have said "kind" (children vs child). sorry about that. but as I plan on having a future reference in German, I may have to pick your brain in the future._**

**_As to the death of Lucy Tracy...In the classic TV series, the manner of the unnamed mother's death is never stated. In the movie, the late Mrs. Tracy - still never named - is acknowledged as an avalanche. You guess from a photo shown in the movie that it was a family vacation, but it is never said. (Her name was stated in the movie novelization, but not in the film itself.) So the fun of writng these stories is that we can occasionally fill in blanks with our own ideas. The description of how Lucy died was used in one of my Thunderbird stories and I found it worked for me. _**

**_OK, they have all met, and I still have stuff to set up before the action starts. Wait...wait...; OK, wait a bit more and I will help. Everyone doing OK? I haven't lost anyone yet? Good, so reviewreviewreview...CC_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Every Father's Son**

**Chapter** **Four – Father** **and Son Time**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

Onboard the seaQuest, the crew still aboard the sub couldn't help but smile at the relaxed laughter and gentle teasing of the two blonde teens. While Alan had been fascinated with the ship as a whole, it was when the two came upon the moon pool that Alan had been most awe-struck.

Lucas had grinned at Alan when the younger boy had asked if any of his research specialized in dolphins. In answer, the genius picked up the vocoder and spoke: "Darwin? Darwin, come here, there is someone you need to meet." Quickly, the mammal burst through the surface of the pool. Brushing a hand gently against the dolphin's nose, Lucas introduced the two. "Alan, this is Darwin, my friend and crewmate; Darwin, this is Alan Tracy, a new friend for you."

Alan had begun to reach over to touch the dolphin when he heard the voice through the vocoder. "Alan like Lucas. Alan join pod?"

Shocked, Alan nearly lost his balance and almost fell into the pool. "No way! Was that really him?"

Smugly, Lucas grinned. "Yep. This device – I call it a vocoder – translates Darwin's clicks and whistles to recognizable words. It's a work in progress but it is a huge step forward in interspecies communication."

Jeff and Bridger had come up behind the teens. "What," asked the billionaire, "did he mean? What Darwin said."

Bridger smiled. "Darwin acknowledged that Alan is a similar age to Lucas, but I think he also wants to know if Alan is joining the crew."

Laughing, the billionaire touched the bobbing nose of the dolphin. "Sorry, Darwin. While I am sure Alan would make a great addition to your crew, we need him ourselves. He has to finish school and he has four big brothers who would miss him too much."

Alan raised his eyebrow, laughing. "Yeah, Dad, just don't give them the option. My brothers might just be willing to offer me up one of these days."

Lucas chuckled. "Yeah, well I think occasionally the crew might be willing to drop me off on a deserted island."

Shaking his head, Bridger added. "No, Lucas, no one wants you gone. Now when it comes to Ben…"

Still fascinated by Darwin, Alan told his father, "I did my science final research paper on dolphins. Got an A on it, the teacher went absolutely nuts over it." Smiling at Lucas, he added, "I found a guy on the net who knew just tons about dolphins. You should track him down. His hacker handle is Frankenstein and…"

The Tracys were puzzled when Lucas and Bridger began to laugh. Tears of mirth running down his face, Lucas interrupted. "Alan, I am Frankenstein. No, really, I am, ask anyone at Node 3." Suddenly still, the young genius grinned widely and gave Alan a quick punch on the shoulder. "Hey, that must make you Phoenix." Turning to Bridger and Jeff, Lucas nodded at the older men. "This dude is a great hacker. Wrote that fantastic virus I was able to modify as a watchdog for the system."

Jeff frowned. "Lucas, you must be mistaken. Alan is no hacker, not that he isn't a good student when he tries, but he can't…" Jeff's frown deepened when he realized his youngest son refused to make eye conduct with his father. "Alan, does this have anything to do with some of the troubles all of your brothers have been having with computers or automated items…"

"John hasn't been having any problems." Alan muttered.

Thinking back, the father acknowledged that. Their gentle John was unlikely to tease or pick on his little brother and had been the most supportive of Alan becoming a Thunderbird. Grinning at his youngest, Jeff put a supportive arm around his son, "OK, Alan, I won't say anything to your brothers – they probably deserved it. Just make sure they can't catch you."

"Nah, John and I…" Alan broke off at that, but had said enough to make Jeff realize that the soft-spoken John had been in on at least some of the hacking. Rolling his eyes, Jeff encouraged the tour to continue as he thought, _"They're right – it is always the quiet ones you have to watch out for."_

* * *

Standing in the shadows near the quay for the seaQuest, Marilyn Stark watched as Nathan Bridger once more exited a shuttle from his vessel. The silver-haired captain was walking side-by-side with a man who seemed familiar, but Stark was unable to place him. As the man entered a waiting car, she dismissed him as unimportant to her plans. The cool blonde glared at the laughing teenager who came up behind Bridger. A second teen, physically similar to Lucas, was animatedly talking to him. 

"Who is the other boy?" Le Chein had sidled up to Marilyn's side.

Stark glared at the sixteen-year-old who, with Bridger, had destroyed her plans to bring down her former command. "Does it matter?" she muttered.

Le Chein continued to watch the two teenagers. "Yes. Bridger and the seaQuest's crew need to pay for the death of Maxwell. But I do not want any innocent bystanders hurt." Turning, Le Chein walked back to the parked car, signaling for Stark to follow him.

With a final withering stare, Stark turned from the sight of the fathers and sons. She was unsure who the second boy was, but she had seen the indulgent smile the man had given the unknown youth. Stark had seen a similar look on Bridger's face for Lucas, on Le Chein's expression when he watched Maxwell. The other man was obviously the boy's father. Bitterly, she wondered what it would feel like to have someone so clearly love you like that. Her father had been a demanding taskmaster, but you could never call him a loving figure.

"Stark!" Le Chein called out. "We will have the men tail the boy, and when the time is right the plan will be carried out. You can not afford to be seen – you are a wanted criminal under the UEO, if you failed to recall."

Steeling herself, Stark hid all of her emotions and rejoined her employer. _"Really, Le Chein, if I didn't need you to finance this endeavor, I would happily gut you like a fish. Do not try my patience. I just may make both our dreams come true. I get my revenge on Bridger, and you get to rejoin your precious son."_

* * *

Nathan Bridger tugged at the collar of his dress uniform. He didn't care how long he was in the service, Bridger would never get use to these. "You're lucky, Nathan." Bridger turned at the sound of Bill Noyce's voice. His old friend's smiling face looked over at him. Gesturing to his tux, the Secretary General of the UEO shook his head. "I never thought I would miss dress uniforms. But now look at the monkey suits I have to wear." 

A gentle laugh caused both men to turn slightly. Jeff Tracy walked up to the duo, smiling. "You two sound as bad as a couple of my sons. Actually, all of them. None of my boys like to dress up – except maybe Virgil."

Noyce nodded. "Now, that's the middle one – the mechanical engineer, right?"

Jeff grinned. "When he's not painting or composing, yes."

Commander Ford, who had joined the older man, raised one brow. "You have a son who does all that? Quite the over-achiever."

Politely ignoring the glare Noyce was sending Ford, the billionaire tried to smooth things over for the young commander. "Actually, over-achieving is average for my sons. Not bragging, just fact. Alan sometimes feels intimidated by that but I am hoping that he is overcoming that. His willingness to stay at school, joining the track team and his improved grades has made me think that if teen angst is not gone it has at least gone to a manageable level."

Other members of the seaQuest had wandered over as, encouraged by Bridger, Jeff relayed stories of his sons. Much of the general information was known about the Tracy sons' undertakings. But with the reluctance Jeff Tracy had always shown with the media, the group knew they were getting the rare chance to hear how the father felt about his sons' accomplishments. The billionaire was a legendary figure himself, a larger-than-life character who was now showing himself to be also a loving father as well.

In answer to a question from Ben Krieg, Jeff was relaying an amusing story about his fourth son, Gordon, at the Olympics when Kristen Westphalen came up to the group, lightly touching the captain's arm and smiling over at him. Quietly, trying not to interrupt the tale, Kristen whispered, "And where is Lucas?"

Having heard her, Jeff stopped his story. "Lucas and Alan stopped at the snack bar. They said they wanted some good food before coming here." Smiling at Bridger, the two men nodded. "I guess that means they are getting a burger and fries before coming in to eat with the "old fogies"." The group laughed, even the physician. She would have to keep an eye out to make sure Lucas didn't gorge himself on junk food. Then again, it was nice to hear that Lucas was relaxing enough to munch on the unhealthy food he loved so much – and couldn't get on the seaQuest.

Entering the large ballroom where the opening banquet was to be held, Alan smirked as he gestured to the group they were heading to. "How much you willing to bet they are talking about us?"

Lucas laughed. "Hey, you may get a nice allowance from your father, but I live on a UEO paycheck. I can't afford to throw away money like that."

* * *

The crew of the seaQuest was all seated at the same table. Wanting to sit with his son, Jeff had declined sitting at the head table. Secretary Noyce watched the laughing, boisterous group and wished he had been able to take that luxury as well. 

Alan and Lucas were keeping the group amused with stories of the fellow hackers or events at school. Ben actually had to wipe tears of mirth from his eyes as he finally asked, "So how did you two meet anyways?"

Lucas shrugged. "Both of us had issues we were going through and spent a lot of time on the net. Guess you can say we were an on-line support group of two. We only knew each other by our handles, but it was all good." Gulping down some more soda, he turned to Alan and asked, "So, I know your father has a meeting in the morning. The rest of the crew has to be in on that one as well. Do you want to go to the beach?"

Jeff shook his head. "Sorry Lucas. But I don't want Alan any further than the pool without adult supervision. I will be taking him to Waimea Bay Beach Park in the afternoon; you are welcome to join us."

Alan looked torn between excitement at the outing and disappointment from his restrictions. His father was almost surprised at the teen not arguing about the beach. Jeff looked over at his son, concerned. Alan not arguing seemed to not be Alan at all. The billionaire was realizing that Brains and John might be correct in the assessment of Alan's emotional state. Even with the highs of defeating the Hood and his appointment to IR, the youngest Tracy was still feeling disturbed by the trauma from the invasion of his home and threats to all of the Tracys.

Bridger shook his head at the obvious disappointment from the two teenagers. Spending time at a water park would be fun, but it would be with an adult. And while he knew the other man had justifiable concerns for the safety of his son, Bridger knew the youths wanted to "just hang". A pool, surrounded by UEO officials not at the meeting (though there would be precious few of those), wouldn't be sufficiently "cool". Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

"Jeff," Bridger piped up. "I have a compromise. Why not let the boys go to the beach in the morning, with some supervision." Turning to Ben Krieg, he nodded at the Supply Officer. "Ben, would you be horribly disappointed at missing a very long and boring meeting?"

"Hell, no… I mean, if it is what is best for Lucas." Krieg simply grinned as the rest of the table laughed.

Nodding to the Tracy patriarch, Bridger smiled. "Ben treats Lucas like a kid brother and for all his occasionally warped idea of "fun", the Lieutenant would never put Lucas at risk. Not unless he wants to clean every latrine on the seaQuest with a toothbrush."

Jeff looked over at the two teens, blue eyes wide with anticipation. Pushing down a trickle of concern at the thought of Alan in a situation beyond his control, he quickly sized up Krieg. While the officer reminded Jeff sharply of his mischievous fourth son, Gordon, the father also knew Gordy would never let anything bad happen to his only little brother. Watching the way the man looked at Lucas, he knew Krieg felt the same way about the teenager. Slowly nodding, the father gave his assent. "Alright, as long as someone is keeping an eye on them. But, I want you back at the room by noon, Alan. We'll have lunch and then head for the park. And Lieutenant? You really need to make sure Alan is alright. I may be a tad overprotective," Jeff ignored his son's eye-rolling as he continued. "But that is nothing on his older brothers."

"Yeah," Alan grinned. "You know what my older brother says."

Jeff smiled, "The older watch out for the younger – the Tracy Way?"

Alan shook his head. "No. Well, Scott says that. I like John's better. Nobody can mess with a Tracy but another Tracy.

**_a/n - Like I promised...They now know they have been friends all along. So it will be easier for Alan and Lucas to bond. Of course, Lucas was always happy to spend time with kids his own age to begin with. Then again, Ben was there..._**

**_Stark is lurking at the edges of the story, which is about to see more action...I hope you are all enjoying this. I am LOVING the reviews, so feel free to keep them up...And as always, thank you to my bestus beta, Sam1, without whom these stories wouldn't be half as good as they may be...She is the best! She also recently made the comment in a story "You mess with one Tracy, you mess with them all", or something similar. Trust me, that is a statement that we have both used, as well as other TB writers. - CC_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Every Father's Son**

**Chapter Five – Fathers Worry**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series._**

Over breakfast the next morning, Jeff Tracy had to smile at the laughter coming from Alan and Lucas. Watching Captain Bridger, he saw the same sense of relief and happiness in the other man's face. Sensing the billionaire's eyes on him, Bridger turned to the Tracy patriarch.

"They seem to be getting on well. I'm just glad Lucas is finally relaxing. After what happened at the last conference we were at." Seeing Jeff's puzzlement, he relayed the events of the conference, including the fact that Lucas had nearly been killed. Grim, Bridger shook his head. "I have been worried about him. He had some terrible nightmares and has been extremely stressed out. I had hoped this would help but with Alan here, I know it will work, and I am happy to be seeing Lucas more relaxed than he has been in a long time. Now, I don't mean to be rude or nosey, but Lucas said Alan had been through something stressful as well. Nothing personal, but usually anything with the name Tracy attached would be newsworthy. And I don't recall anything involving any of your sons lately."

Jeff worried his bottom lip, not sure exactly how to proceed. He chose a version of the events. "Due to circumstances, my sons and I – with the exception of Alan – were called away from the island. Alan had just come home the evening before, as it was the start of Spring Break. I thought he would be safe there, we had good security and most people don't even know our exact location. The UEO is perfectly happy to let me claim the area, since I also maintain and protect the natural resources." The men gave quick smiles at that. "But…I guess we were not as secure as I had presumed. There was a home invasion. The intruders caused some damage to the house, threatened my staff and my chief engineer – he lives on the island as well. Alan and the other two kids – Tin-Tin and Fermat – were chased around the island. Ultimately, one of the men tried to kill Alan. In the end, the intruders were captured for other crimes. Since they were going away for those crimes, I convinced the authorities to keep my family out of it. Alan had been too frightened by everything. The whole family had been, once we watched the security tapes. I hoped that getting back to school would help balance things out for Alan. But John and Brains have both been telling me that Alan is more stressed out by the events than he would ever admit. Brains' son, Fermat, is also Alan's roommate at school. He has told his father that Alan hasn't been sleeping well. Now, I am glad Alan has thrown himself into life at school. Joining the track team shows that Alan is willing to try and that report card he gave me yesterday was the best one I have seen in years. But…I am worried that Alan is not recovering from the events that occurred. That was one of the reasons I wanted this time with Alan. I don't get to spend as much time as I would like in the first place with my son. I want…no, I need Alan to know how important he is to me." Jeff shook his head. "Sorry, I don't usually blurt out my personal life like that."

Nathan just smiled. "Sometimes we all need to talk. Luckily, I have the AI device in my quarters. I have spent a few sleepless nights on a virtual couch."

At a burst of laughter from the two teens, Jeff gave a soft smile at his youngest. "Alan looks so much like his mother. Acts like her as well. I just wanted him to be safe, I wanted to protect him. Instead, I nearly pushed him away for good. Then I almost lost him to that monster. My boys are everything to me, they are my joy, my true treasures in life. All my wealth or success would mean nothing if I didn't have them."

Bridger nodded, more than understanding. "I know what you mean. My son Robert…Well, he was the only child Carol and I were able to have. I never wanted Robert to join the military. But he did. And he died in the service. I left the Navy, and Carol and I went to live on an island I bought in the Yucatan. Carol died some time after and…well, I just wanted to be left alone. Bill Noyce had me come to the seaQuest after the refitting – I had always pictured her more as a research vessel than a battleship. And that was where I met Lucas. I feel like I have a new lease on life. Lucas may not be my son by blood, but I couldn't love him more if he were my son. And God knows, I have been more of a father to him that Lawrence Wolenczak ever was. You know, I tried to call him after the terrorist incident. I never got farther than his secretary. Once I said Lucas was physically OK, I never even got a call back."

Jeff frowned, unable to understand how someone couldn't love their own child. But he tried not to interfere with how others raised their children, as long as the child was not abused. Emotional neglect, sadly, was not a crime.

Ben Krieg walked into the room at that moment. Grinning at the teens, he called out, "Lucas, Alan – you two ready for some fun in the sun while the old fogies" – Ben gulped at the glare Bridger sent him – "I mean, while everyone else is otherwise occupied?"

The teenagers jumped up, and ran over to the Lieutenant. "All set, Ben." Lucas gave a joking salute to Bridger. "Heading off on the mission, Captain."

Bridger laughed and gestured the trio off. The three had begun to leave the room when Alan suddenly whirled back around and dashed over to his parent. Throwing his arms around his father, the youngest Tracy gave Jeff a quick hug. "Love you, Dad." Just as suddenly, the teen ran back to Lucas and Ben.

Watching the three depart, Nathan observed the billionaire who had been silent during his son's show of affection. He quietly asked, "When was the last time Alan told you he loved you?"

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Jeff played with his wedding band. "The day his mother died. I haven't heard those words in twelve years."

* * *

Down at the beach, Alan and Lucas were being amused as Ben tried repeatedly to pick-up some of the pretty girls. "Give it up, Ben." Lucas called out to his friend. 

"Lucas, Lucas, Lucas…I am trying to teach you the right way and the wrong way to meet the fairer sex."

Alan laughed, "So when are you going to start teaching us the right way?" Ben glared at the younger boy, who motioned the officer over. "Now, Ben, I am going to be kind and let you use the technique that has served my brothers well, lo these many years. Sit. No, I am serious, sit." Grumbling, Ben acquiesced, positioning himself between the two teenagers. For several minutes, Lucas and Alan joked and played around, finally getting Ben to join in.

Within fifteen minutes of Ben sitting down with the teens, two beautiful young women came over to the beach blanket. "Hi!" the bubbly blonde smiled at the three on the blanket. "I'm Shawna. This is my BFF, Amber." The redhead gave a tiny wave. "We've been watching you with your little brothers. We think it's just so sweet how you are surrounded by all these women and instead you are playing with your brothers. I find a man with such strong family values hot. Don't you, Amber?" The redhead nodded. "Are you going to be around long, maybe at some time when the boys are all tucked into bed?"

Within thirty minutes, Ben had dates lined up for every night of the conference.

* * *

Back at the conference, Jeff sighed with relief when a break was called. Pouring a cup of coffee, he grimaced at the taste. "You would think," he sighed, "that a place that boasts a five star restaurant could make a decent cup of coffee." 

Ford smiled. "This is gourmet coffee compared to the stuff we get on board. Surely it hasn't been that long since you were in the Air Force Mr. Tracy?"

Shaking his head, Jeff returned the smile. "No, and my son, Scott, was quick to bemoan not having Onaha's coffee." At Ford's puzzled look, Jeff explained. "Our housekeeper, Onaha. I don't know what we would do without her and her husband, Kyrano. They keep the household going. And before Onaha, my mother lived with us after…after Lucy died. Mom made great coffee as well. It has been a few years since I had to make do with mess hall coffee. Maybe I have gotten a bit spoiled. But," he grinned at the younger man, "I've earned the privilege."

Chuckling, the two men turned as Secretary Noyce and Captain Bridger approached them. "Jonathon," Bridger stated grimly, "We have information on who financed Stark's little campaign all those months ago. Some businessman named George Le Chein…"

The three men turned when Jeff nearly spit out his mouthful of coffee. "George Le Chein? That man is little better than a mafia godfather. His business ethic is nonexistent beyond what best lines his coffers. His sole redeeming characteristic was his son, um, Mathew? Martin? No, Maxwell. He was devoted to the boy."

Noyce nodded. "And that was how we were able to link Marilyn Stark to Le Chein. The crew of the pirate sub, the ones the seaQuest were able to pull aboard? They were being held at Guantanamo until they could be ID'd. One of the injured men died and he was the one we were able to identify. Maxwell Le Chein himself. Once the investigators confronted some of the other survivors with Maxwell's name, three of them broke down. Seems they now believe that with his son dead, their boss will no longer be willing to arrange their freedom, so they are now willing to talk. Le Chein believed that if they could get rid of the seaQuest, it would strike a blow against the UEO as a whole…"

Jeff looked grim. "Many of Le Chein's business ventures in the ocean were questionably legal prior to the UEO. With the formation of the UEO, most of his "ventures" were removed from his control. Nothing would get him madder than denying him profit." Shaking his head, he looked Bridger straight in the eye. "In his mind, the seaQuest is the UEO. And he will also see the seaQuest as being the cause of his son's death. Trust me when I tell you, the irrational madness of a man bent on revenge is something you will never be ready for."

The UEO men watched as the billionaire walked away, having muttered something about making a call. Bridger thought of the tale the man had told him earlier. _"I wonder,"_ he mused, _"if that home invasion incident wasn't a bit more personal that Jeff Tracy will ever admit. He confessed that Alan was nearly killed by the culprits. What if the motivation wasn't just for profit? What if the true purpose of the crime was revenge for a slight either real or imagined?" _Having lost a son once, Bridger could not imagine anything more painful than losing a beloved child. But for the child to be lost because someone wanted to cause you pain? The captain could not think of anything worse.

* * *

"I need to hang out with you two more often." Ben grinned and clapped a hand on each of the teens' shoulders. "Alan, how did you know that would work so well?" 

Alan laughed, tossing his head back, the sun dancing on his golden locks. "Please, my brothers have been using that for years. Scott first scored points when I was eighteen months old, bringing me to the park to get Sally Ann Baker's attention away from Kurt Sanders. She walked over to coo over the baby, he ended up with the babe. Never fails."

Ben smiled, "Too bad they haven't had kids yet, you don't have anyone to help you."

Blushing, the youngest Tracy grinned. "No need. I already have a girlfriend. Our housekeeper and groundskeeper have a daughter my age, Tin-Tin." Alan pulled out his cell phone and went through the pictures before showing one to Ben and Lucas. "That's Tin-Tin."

Lucas whistled. "Whoa. She's hot." Alan frowned until his new friend held up his hands. "Don't worry, I have my own girl. Julianna. Met her at Node 3."

Busy teasing Ben, the teens failed to notice the white paneled van that was slowly following them. But Krieg had noticed it. Looking around, the lieutenant was nervous to realize that they were far enough from the beach that the public had been left behind and with most of the UEO guests in the meeting, there was no one around the entrance the trio was approaching. Not wanting to alarm the kids, Ben simply began to walk faster, trying to get them inside the resort.

At that moment, the van swung in front of the group, forcing them to halt abruptly. Recognizing the danger, Ben grabbed the teens by the arms, trying to pull them away. "Lucas, Alan… run!"

Two men with ski masks on jumped from the cargo area, grabbing the teens, struggling to force them into the van. Alan swung back his head, full force, slamming his skull into the man's face. Cursing with pain (and noticeable blood coming from the man's nose), the man pulled out a gun, jamming it under Alan's chin. The teen froze for a moment, giving the man the chance to throw the boy into the back of the van. The second villain was forcing a frightened Lucas into the vehicle with Alan as Ben jumped forward, yelling "Let them go, you bastards!"

**BANG**!

Lucas froze in horror at the sight of the blossoming bloodstain spreading across Ben's white/blue print Hawaiian shirt. "Ben…" he mouthed silently, a single tear running down his cheek at the sight of his friend collapsing on the ground. The villain now found it easy to toss Lucas into the van with Alan, slamming the door shut behind himself, shouting "Go! Now!"

As the vehicle sped off down the alleyway, Ben raised his head briefly. The pain was tearing through him, his eyes filled with grief and anger. Lucas. Alan. He had promised to protect them and he had failed. As darkness overwhelmed him, the pain from the bullet was nothing compared to the pain of knowing he had failed to keep them safe.

**_a/n - umm. shudunedus pointed out - correctedly - that I changed Stark's name from Marilyn to Madeline; I double checked, her name is Marilyn and if I repost the previous chapters later (do you lose review if you do that?), I will fix it. And I fixed it starting with this chapter. I'm sorry. And yes, I shot Ben. well, actually, the bad guys shot Ben. but like Alan's brothers, I can't see anything less from stopping him from letting the bad guys get away with his "little brother", can you? thanks again for the reviews, this is a blast. and if enough people review, I just might be nice and send out a Christmas present in a few days, ok? I can be nice...I am posting early, aren't I? heck I will post another chapter on Christmas Day anyways. but still, review. it is such an emotional boost! - CC_**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six – Father's Worst Fears**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS - (even if you don't celebrate it, here is my present to you...)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series.**

Jeff Tracy couldn't say what was bothering him. He only knew that a cold chill had settled over him. _"Maybe,"_ he thought, _"this is what the others felt like when the Hood tossed them into the freezer."_ But his attempt at humor fell short. Something was wrong, he just knew it. During the break, Jeff had called back to the island. Speaking briefly with his four oldest sons, the Tracy father had been happy to hear that all was quiet. John had been working on his latest astronomy book; Scott was catching up on some reports; Virgil had been composing a new sonata; and Gordon was suspiciously well-behaved. Jeff had to wonder what his water-baby was up to now; he was obviously up to some kind of mischief.

With his other sons at home, taking pleasure in life beyond International Rescue, Jeff's thoughts turned to Alan. Between touring the seaQuest and the opening banquet the day before, Jeff couldn't recall having enjoyed time with his youngest so much in years. After dinner, the Tracys had returned to their suite, sitting up and talking for hours. It was sad it had taken a near tragedy, but Jeff felt closer to Alan than he had since his son was a little boy. The closest he had been since Lucy had died. One tragedy had cost him his son and a near tragedy had brought him back.

In all honesty, Jeff knew that part of the distance that had settled between him and Alan was his fault. For the first couple of years after Lucy died, the father could barely stand to look at his baby. The boy had just been too bitter a reminder of what he had lost. What they had all lost. Before he knew it, more than two years had passed. Any closeness that had existed between Jeff and Alan had faded. But with the terrifying incidents of Spring Break, the Tracy patriarch had been shown what he could have lost. _"I have to make sure none of my boys ever feel they are less important to me than Tracy Industries or International Rescue. No business deal or piece of machinery is as precious to me as my boys, my true treasures. They are Lucy's legacy to me and I can never let any of them ever feel as if they are not vital to my happiness."_

But even as Jeff comforted himself with the thought that he was making strides in his relationship with his sons, especially Alan, he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. The last time this coldness had enveloped him had been when they had been racing to Thunderbird Five to rescue John from the space station after it had been targeted by the Hood's missile. Something was wrong with one of his sons. He just knew it.

* * *

Outside the conference hall, Ben Krieg struggled to get up. Blood soaked the front of his shirt and pain radiated from the bullet wound in his chest. It was hard to breathe, harder to focus. But he had to. Every moment Krieg lay on the ground was a moment they could not get back, a moment longer that Lucas and Alan were in the hands of people who definitely did not have the boys' best interests at heart. Forcing himself to his feet, Ben began to stagger towards the door that lay just twenty feet from where he was, the door that opened into the conference hall where the rest of the seaQuest crew was. If he could only get to his crewmates, they would help. If Ben could only get to Captain Bridger, he knew everything would be alright. Nathan Bridger would never let him down. The legendary sea captain would move mountains to save Lucas. 

If only the door wasn't so far away…

* * *

Back inside the conference hall, Nathan Bridger nearly smiled at the covert glances Jeff Tracy was giving his watch. It was getting close to noon and he knew the other man was anxious for the meeting to wrap up so that he could meet back up with his son. To be honest, Bridger would much prefer to be heading off to the park with the threesome but it had been made clear that issues to be discussed at the conference that afternoon would definitely need his input. Or at least that is what Noyce had told him that morning. Well, at least he would enjoy a quiet lunch with Jeff, Alan and Lucas before they left. Jeff had learned his lesson from the multiple interruptions at dinner last night and breakfast this morning. Lunch had been ordered and would be delivered to the Tracys' suite at noon. 

Leaning over, Nathan whispered, "Bill never use to put up with this much bull when he was an admiral."

Jeff chuckled lightly. "Politics – never could stand them. I still get people trying to tell me I should run for office. But the pay stinks and my moral standards are too high for politics."

Ford and O'Neill, sitting just ahead of the men, were trying not to chuckle at the overheard conversation. Kristen, seated on the other side of Bridger had no such problem and gave a small, smothered laugh. Secretary Noyce cast baleful eyes at the group. The meeting was running longer than it should have and he knew they were becoming bored and frustrated, but really…

Just then the door leading to the patio banged open and Ben staggered in. Meeting Bridger's eyes, he whispered, "Captain…" before collapsing to his knees. The men of the seaQuest ran to his side, with Bridger gently laying the wounded officer on the ground. In the background, Ben could hear Ford calling for an ambulance. He could feel Kristen start treating his injuries. He sensed Tim kneeling near him and knew without looking that the compassionate young man would be silently praying for him. But Ben used all of his energy to focus on Bridger. He needed to tell his Captain what happened.

Bridger looked down at Ben, who was trying to speak. "Ca-Captain…Sorry. White van, side door. Hawaiian plates N19 84H. Two men, plus a driver. Had a gun. Obviously…" Ben coughed, alarming the group with the blood-flecked spittle. "Alan knocked one in the face, head butt. Nice move. That was when the guy pulled the gun. Jabbed it under Alan's chin." Ben coughed again and Bridger missed how pale Jeff had become. "Got Alan in the van. I tried to grab Lucas…Thought if I could get him to the side, I could try and grab back Alan. Or at least make enough commotion to get help. The one with the gun shot me. Saw them push Lucas into the van. Headed east."

Ben struggled for a breath. "Mr. Tracy…I'm sorry. I'm sorry Captain. I…" Whatever else Ben would have said was lost as his grip on consciousness failed. Other medical personnel from the conference had come over and were assisting Kristen in trying to save Krieg's life, pushing Bridger out of the way.

Allowing the professionals to care for his supply officer, Bridger stood up and approached Jeff. "We'll find them. We'll use every resource in the UEO. We are going to get those boys back."

Jeff Tracy had been standing silently, his eyes closed against the pain ripping through his body. He knew the statistics, he knew the odds. Many kidnapping victims never come home and fewer still are returned unharmed. This was his son, his baby boy…his Alan. He had just found his child again. No one was taking that from him. Jefferson Tracy was an honest man, he was a good man. But you didn't get where he had in life by always being a nice man. He had learned there were times when you had to play hardball, times when you had to come out of your corner ready to fight. And some of those times, it was best to have someone to back your play. He liked Nathan Bridger. But he knew he needed someone who he could trust with absolute certainty. Walking slightly away from the group, Jeff pulled out his cell phone, rapidly dialing a number he knew by heart.

"Scott? Are you all available? Good. Pack your bags; I need the four of you here. Someone has made a very big mistake. We need to rectify it."

**_a/n - you think the seaQuest guys are gonna be ticked? wait until you see the Tracys in action. Oh, and thanks for the know how on how to fix mistake. I have gone back and fixed the mistakes. Madeline is now Marilyn, kinder is now kind and Juliette is now Julianna. No, they never used guns on seaQuest, but I figure they still exist, and the bad guys will have them. I don't know what Hawaiian plates are like, so I made one up. NH New Hampshire, my home state, 1984 was a book by George Orwell that if you have never read, you really should. It is warped but makes great reading._**

**_So the fathers know the boys were kidnapped (but not by whom) and the balance of the families (except Ben and Kristen who will be involved in their own life and death struggle) will arrive. Lots of emotional agnst and reasons not to tick off a Tracy are given. The seaQuest boys are gonna try and go by the book only to discover that the Thunderbirds have brought their own playbook along. But Bridger, Ford and O'Neill (the main SQ involved on that end) are adaptable if nothing else. Oh, and Stark will reveal herself soon. She just HAS to gloat. Stupid twit. Hope you are having a great holiday. Chapter seven will be up on Sunday. Until next time...REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW. um, I really do like reviews. - CC_**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven – Sins of the Father**

**Disclaimer - I do not own seaQuest DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with the Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the Live Action Thunderbirds series.**

Nathan Bridger paced back and forth across the main room of the Tracys' suite. In order to keep control of the flow of information, the UEO had wanted to centralize the search. Jeff Tracy had been quick to suggest moving the operation to his suite. They had been there for just over two hours…and were no closer to finding the kidnapped teens then they had been when Ben had collapsed in the conference hall.

Bridger looked down again at the picture in his hand. Intelligence officers from the UEO, FBI agents and local police were busy reviewing information in the background. One of them, he couldn't remember which agency, had asked for pictures, saying that they needed some of Lucas. While Chief Crocker, head of security for seaQuest, had quickly provided them with Lucas' file photo, Tim O'Neill had provided a handful of candid pictures of the teenager. One photo, deemed unusable by the Intel people, had become a lifeline for Bridger. A bittersweet smile edged his face when he traced a finger gently over Lucas' joyful expression. Tim had snapped that particular picture when Lucas had been playing in the moon pool with Darwin. His hair was wet and water was dripping down his face. But Lucas had been smiling, his eyes filled with such joy that it made Bridger's heart clench painfully. He needed to see that look again, he needed to see that smile…he needed Lucas back.

Tim sat down next to his captain. "Sir, I have some lunch for you." Nathan shook his head, his stomach turning at the thought of food. "Captain, starving yourself won't help Lucas. You have to keep strong."

Shaking his head again, Nathan looked around the suite. "Where is Jeff Tracy?"

The communications officer motioned his head to one of the bedrooms. "He went into the room, brought out a couple of pictures of his son and then went back. He hasn't come back out since."

Captain Bridger stood up and moved towards the back bedroom. Opening the door, he sucked in his breath at the sight of Jeff Tracy. The Tracy father was sitting on his son's bed, holding a watch and a photograph. Gingerly sitting down by the other man, Bridger looked at the picture. The image was of five young men. Two looked so much like Jeff they had to be sons. One was Alan and the other resembled him closely, a little leaner, a little blonder, but clearly close family. The fifth was stockier than the two blondes, but had auburn hair and a mischievous grin that reminded him painfully of Ben Krieg. Kristen had called and said that Krieg had been taken in for emergency surgery and that she would let them know once there was news. So far, there had been none.

Jeff finally looked over at Bridger. A tight smile was on his face. "My boys. I took this picture the last time Alan was home. As stressful as everything had been, my boys have always found strength in each other. I didn't know Alan had a printed copy of this. I e-mailed him a copy right after he went back to school. But I can tell, he kept this where he could see it. Even here, he had it on his bedside stand. Alan misses us when he goes away to school. But…we are gone so often. And I want Alan to have as normal a life as possible. I want him to be happy, to be safe. I know he now says he is glad to go to school but it wasn't long ago that he was forever asking me to let him be home-schooled. I know that we were shown that no where is completely safe, but…This isn't supposed to be happening. I kept his face out of the media. I made sure his whereabouts were not common knowledge. I keep thinking, "What else could I have done? How else could I have kept him any safer?" Closing his eyes against the pain, Jeff reopened them and looked up at Nathan. "What did I do wrong?"

Placing a comforting hand on the billionaire's arm, Nathan shook his head as he spoke. "You did everything right. Someone just outsmarted us. But now it is time to work together and bring our boys home."

"There hasn't been a ransom demand yet. Why aren't they asking for anything?"

Bridger looked grim. "You know Jeff that may be the grand presumption." At the puzzled look on the other man's face, Bridger continued. "What if they weren't after Alan? What if Lucas was the target? Some of Lucas' inventions are classified so highly because they could easily be used as weapons. The Wolenczaks have money, no where near your neighborhood, but I have seen people be hurt for twenty bucks. Then there's me…I have no family but I have never hidden how I feel about Lucas. I have made enemies in my lifetime. So let's not assume that Alan was the target. Because it may be that your son was just collateral damage. It will be no less painful, but once we know why, we can find out who. Then we can get our boys back."

Jeff had continued to look at the picture. He had taken it when Alan had returned from his first rescue with his brothers during Spring Break. While John had kept him with him for most of the rescue, running Mobile Control, all of the boys had managed to come back dirty from the mud slide in South America. Taking one look at them, Jeff had sent them to wash up before the debriefing. Once they were clean, Jeff had gathered them in front of the pool for a picture. Since founding the Thunderbirds, the boys were rarely together. And the time had been extra special for Alan and John. With John up on Thunderbird Five three out of every four weeks and Alan away at school, time together was more precious. John had made it clear he wanted to take Alan away for a trip before he returned to the space station. Memories of the two blonde Tracy sons filled his mind. John sneaking Alan from his crib as a baby to show him stars…Alan quietly snuggling next to his second oldest brother, who would simply sit and read in the days following their mother's death…John returning from college or NASA or Five and simply watching his brother sleep. Scott may have been the surrogate parent to the younger Tracy but there was a wonderful bond with Alan and John as well. The two blonde sons, like Scott and Virgil, were clearly marked as brothers. Which led Jeff's thoughts to Gordon.

Gordon would be devastated. Alan was his only little brother. The youngster had been the one person who had complete faith in Gordon's recovery from a near-fatal hydrofoil accident that had ended his military career. The former WASP sailor had nearly died and then been told he would be crippled for life. Instead, he had won a gold medal at the Olympics less than two years later. Gordon had attributed his family's faith in him for his "miracle" but Jeff had seen his eyes settle on his little brother and knew who he gave the most credit to.

Scott and Virgil? Just before leaving for the conference, Jeff had been listening to his artist son play at the piano, while chatting with his oldest brother. Their conversation had been centered on Alan and how excited he would be about the surprise Jeff had for him. Scott had been smiling, his loving and protective nature for the brother he had taught to walk had been clear. Anything that made his "baby" happy was good by Scott. He knew his oldest was aware of his hero status in Alan's eyes. Hadn't Alan's first word been "Scott"? And Virgil had once confided in his father that he found Alan a source of inspiration. The joy the boy infused in life made colors brighter, music sweeter, the world more vibrant. "Like being caught up in a parade."

"_Lucy,"_ Jeff prayed. _"Look out for our baby. We need him back. We lost you and somehow we survived. No, we survived because we had to be strong for Allie. How could we get through losing our baby? Help bring back our baby."_

Sensing Bridger still sitting beside him, the father sighed. He should get up, he should do something…

The quiet hum of voices in the outer room halted at a much louder voice.

"Like hell I will! You get out of my way. We are coming in, we are needed! Dad! Dad, we're here!"

A smile small came to Jeff's face. What idiot had tried to get in his first-born's way?

* * *

Scott Tracy stood tall in the doorway to his father's suite, his three younger brothers gathered behind him. Several people had tried to stop them from joining their father. No one had succeeded. "Dad!" The oldest Tracy son called out once more. He relaxed slightly when his father emerged from a side room. All of the Tracy sons moved towards their father. The man's devastation was clear and they clamped down their own pain to offer their parent comfort. 

"Dad," Gordon began quietly. "Any leads yet? Have there been any demands?" Jeff's slow head shake seemed to take a bit more from the brothers. The second youngest Tracy son was about to say something when his attention was caught by the sight of a familiar face.

"Tim? Tim O'Neill? Is that you?" The swimmer moved quickly to O'Neill's side, quickly pulling him into his embrace. "Man, it is good to see you! It's been ages. What are you doing here? I know you joined the UEO after the WASPs were disbanded but…" Gordon's voice trailed off as he looked at the picture in the O'Neill's hand. It was another candid shot, but one the officer was in. Dr. Westphalen had taken it. The picture showed Lucas and Tim sitting by the moon pool, laughing at the sight of Ben getting soaked by a splash from Darwin. Tim's mouth trembled slightly as he whispered, "Lucas. He may not be my baby brother in blood, but…Dammit, Gordon. They took our little boy, too."

* * *

After a brief explanation, the two families discovered that O'Neill had been the communications officer in charge at the time of Gordon's accident. Jeff recalled command saying that the officer had been the reason help had arrived so quickly. While too late for most of the unit – nine had been killed instantly, while the tenth had died enroute to the hospital – he had been told later that the speedy assistance was the only reason Gordon had been the sole survivor and not another statistic. The father made a mental note to pull the quiet young man aside and thank him for helping one of his boys. 

"Why didn't you tell me you knew one of my sons?" Jeff asked, desperate for anything that would distract him.

Tim had removed his glasses, wiping them repeatedly as he gathered his thoughts. "It's not one of my favorite memories, sir. My best friend since grade school was one of the members of the team."

No one said anything. They knew what had happened to the rest of the team. With Gordon as the only survivor, they knew Tim's friend had died.

Bridger placed a comforting hand on Tim's arm just as the vid-phone chimed with an incoming call. Looking at it, Crocker nodded at his captain, saying, "Cap, it's been forwarded from your room."

Sighing, Bridger stood. "Hopefully, it's Kristin with some good news about Ben."

Flipping on the vid-phone, he sucked in his breath in shock. "Marilyn Stark? You're alive?" Putting on his stoniest glare, he asked, "What do you want?"

A cold smile crossing her face, the disgraced sea captain asked, "What do I want? Well, I wanted my command, and then I wanted my revenge. I lost both – to you. So what do I have?" Nodding to someone off screen, she moved aside. Suddenly, Lucas was placed front and center. "What I have is your boy, Lucas. What I want is for you to suffer. What I want is for Lucas to pay for your sins. The sins of the father visited upon the son."

Lucas stuttered, "C-Captain Bridger isn't my f-father."

Running her riding crop along side his face, Stark snarled. "Not by blood and not by law. But in Bridger's heart and mind you are. So you will do." She pulled back her arm to strike the teenager.

Suddenly the crop was knocked away from Lucas. Alan pushed himself towards the duo, away from the goon who had been holding him. "Leave him alone, you bitch."

Stark glared at the henchmen standing off to the side. "Can't you control one child?"

One of the men spoke up. "That _child_ broke Mike's nose, Charlie's jaw and Don's kneecap." Shooting a dagger's glare at Alan, he muttered, "He's more dangerous than most of the UEO guys."

Smirking at the man, Alan said, "I told you, you guys were gonna regret this. Me? I am nothing compared to my family. After my brothers clean your clocks, my dad will make sure your asses are nailed to the wall. He'll make sure you guys are tossed in prison for the rest of your lives."

"Your father must be someone pretty important." Alan jerked around as George Le Chein walked into the room. With Stark partially blocking the monitor he was unaware – or simply didn't care – that the UEO people were hearing and seeing everything. Looking Alan up and down, he turned towards Stark. "Did he have any ID on him?"

Stark shook her head. "No wallet and some _genius,_" she sneered at the hired gun, "threw away his cell phone. It couldn't be tracked if turned off, so there was no need!"

Le Chein picked up a photo from the desk nearby. "This was taken near the seaQuest yesterday?" Stark nodded. "Jeff Tracy. This must be one of his sons. I would say somewhere between fourteen and sixteen. I remember meeting the man's wife when she was pregnant with I believe their fifth child. To be Christina if a girl, but the parents could not choose a boy's name. So who won? Your father wanted Walter but your mother wanted Alan." Seeing the ever so slight reaction of the name Alan, Le Chein nodded. "Alan Tracy." Turning to Stark, he snarled, "You have made us into common kidnappers. The boy should be released."

Stark shook her head as Le Chein left the room, calling after him. "You still want revenge for Maxwell, right? Well, Jeff Tracy was a major investor in seaQuest. He needs to pay as well."

Joining Nathan's side in front of the vid-phone, Jeff snarled, "How much?"

Turning back to the vid-phone, Stark smirked. "Ah, the legendary Jeff Tracy with the equally renowned Nathan Bridger; both hostage to fortune. Let me think of this and get back to you."

Scott glared at the now darkened vid-phone screen. "If that bi…person thinks she is going to get away with threatening this family, she's got another thing coming."

Both families – one of blood and one of heart – nodded in agreement. Marilyn Stark had made a big mistake. She had stolen their sons, their little brothers. They would have Alan and Lucas returned to them. And then Marilyn Stark would pay, in blood if need be.

**_a/n - so, Stark has made her presence known, and the Tracys are joining forces with the seaQuest crew. and yes, I know, Jeff really disapproves of his sons using foul language. but some how, I don't think Alan will get in any trouble. Le Chein is wavering, the families are furious and Stark is just plain nuts. We found out that Gordon did know a seaQuest officer, but I think a few people were surprised to find the one he did know. And did Alan learn to kick butt or what? I am not saying Lucas was a wimp, he had his stregnths. Fighting wasn't necessarily one of them. But Alan had two things going for him - a family that knew how to defend themselves and being the youngest. Trust me, I am the youngest of four. While being the smallest as well as the youngest, I rarely fought back physically, I do have a bit of Gordon in me. Sam1 knows what I am talking about...Snicker. Evil came early to me...So, everyone OK so far? I am being nice and posting a day early. So...enjoy, and review, puh-lease. - CC_**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Fathers Fight**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR - my resolution is to write more angsty stories, including finishing this story and considering a sequel. I think for once I will be able to keep a resolution.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

The Tracys sat to the side, quietly talking. To the people from the UEO, it looked like a close-knit family comforting one and other. In truth, it was a team of seasoned professionals, reviewing what information they had and strategizing what to do next.

Scott asked his father, "What about Alan's watch?"

Jeff held it up. "He had left it in his room. No way to track him. I had called Brains right after I called you. The tracking data, by the way, is back on-line on Five."

John gave a brief smile at his father' attempt at humor. He gestured to his small notebook computer. "OK, as the UEO said there is no known technology to accurately track a vid-phone signal. Moving on, I did track it. But I don't think they are in Siberia. This tells me Marilyn Stark is using a very sophisticated routing system, nearly impossible to track."

Nodding, Jeff asked, "So how long until you can track the signal, John?"

Lowering his head slightly, John played with the keyboard for a moment before responding, "I'll need at least two minutes with another incoming call. I have tracked down some of the satellite dummy signals and need to eliminate the rest. Plus, there is some background noises that may give us some clues."

The family sat quietly for a moment, trying to absorb all that had happened.

"Will you pay a ransom?" Gordon asked softly.

Clutching Alan's watch as a lifeline, Jeff nodded. "If need be, yes. Whatever it takes to get your brother back. But then I will want payback from those responsible. And I will not rest until I get it."

Virgil looked at his father, eyes wide. They had always known Jeff loved them and they knew he would do whatever it took to protect them. But through the years of observing their father, they had never seen the warrior mode he was now displaying. He almost felt sorry for Alan's kidnappers. Looking at the picture that Jeff held along with the watch, Virgil felt tears come to his eyes. Alan had been so happy that day. They all had been. He wondered at time if Alan knew how much they loved him, how precious he was to his family. As the hurt echoed again in his heart, any pity he might had harbored for the villains who had done this was wiped away by his family's pain.

* * *

In a cold, dark storage room aboard a non-descript decrepit freighter, Alan sat in the darkness, listening to Lucas' ragged breathing. His friend had tried so hard to be brave, but once Stark's goon squad had tossed them into the room, Lucas had broken down. Breathing deep, Alan had chosen to pretend he was his big brothers and done his best to comfort the other boy. He would be strong, like Scott. He would be compassionate, like John. He would be supportive, like Virgil. And once Lucas had pulled himself back together, Alan would find his inner-Gordon and try to cheer Lucas up. He knew the other boy was scared. Hell, he was scared. But Alan knew his family would be coming for them. The Thunderbirds would rescue them. 

Unbidden during his show of bravado a memory trickled in from when the family had been after the Hood in London. Alan had sought his father's reassurance that the villain had been lying – there was no way his father would leave someone to die. Jeff hadn't bothered to explain that the madman had been enslaving innocent workers in a mine that collapsed. While they had been able to get the workers out, the Thunderbirds had been forced to get out with the last of the rescued without going back for the mine owner, Trahn Belegent, aka "The Hood". The father had thought for a moment and did not try to explain all that to his youngest. Instead, Jeff had simply said, _"You can't save everyone Alan. It doesn't matter how hard you try or how brave you are. It doesn't even matter if it's someone you love, someone you would give your life in a second to save, you just can't save everyone." _

Alan just hoped this wouldn't be one of those times.

* * *

Back at the Tracys' suite, Jonathon Ford couldn't help but be intrigued watching the Tracys. "Captain Bridger?" The man looked up. "Sir, I think the Tracys are up to something." 

Bridger directed his eyes at the family on the other side of the room. It was a welcome relief to focus on something else. There had still been no word on Ben's condition and the UEO had made it clear that Bridger, O'Neill and Ford were not allowed to participate in the active investigation. When the seaQuest men had objected, Crocker had assured his crewmates that he would still be part of the investigation. The glare he had given the Intel guys had assured that.

But watching the Tracy family, Nathan became suspicious. His XO was right. The Tracys were not the sort to sit back and let anyone else run the show. Motioning to the other two men, Bridger led the trio over to the Tracys.

"OK, what are you up to?"

Jeff looked up to see the glare Bridger directed at his family. "What makes you think we are up to anything?"

Bridger gave a thin smile. "Because I know I am not about to sit this out. So, what have you got?"

Moving over, the Tracy men made room for the seaQuest men. John explained what they had and what they would need. Gordon then began to review the most likely hiding spots Stark would have picked. "Most likely, she has them on a boat. Reviewing the last call, we could hear some sounds of the dock area. But this is the Hawaiian Islands. So that doesn't exactly narrow things down. I doubt they have left the islands. It would be too difficult. Within five minutes of your lieutenant collapsing in the conference hall, all ships leaving the area were under search orders as were all small planes. The kidnappers never had a chance to leave the island, forget the chain."

Scott nodded. "Now Dad and Captain Bridger will need to stay here for further communication with that Stark _person_, but I say that we can divide up and garner additional information."

Ford nodded. "That makes sense. What, teams of two?"

Virgil shook his head. "No, let's go with three. Keep John and O'Neill together for Communications and maybe Gordy with them since he has worked with both men before. That would leave me with Ford and Scott."

Gordon grinned, "Are you sure you want two Type A's together? That may be too much testosterone in one grouping."

Responding with a fragile smile, Virgil shrugged. "I figure the three of us can go out to the dock areas and scout around. Let these two rattle some cages and I can catch whatever falls out."

Jeff and Bridger nodded at each other. The plan was coming together.

* * *

Back in the storage room, Lucas had raised his head from where he had been leaning on Alan. Sniffling, he muttered, "Sorry. I can usually hold it together better than that. It's just…they shot Ben! And that Stark woman – she's crazy! She nearly killed us right after I boarded the seaQuest. And she hates the Captain. She just wants to hurt him. And I think she might…might kill us. Or at least me. She just wants money for you." 

"I know."

"She's nuts! I can't believe she wants to hurt me, has probably killed Ben, just to get back at Captain Bridger." Lucas ranted.

"I know."

"I mean, this is insane! What kind of lunatic is willing to kill a kid just to get to the father? I mean the Captain isn't really my father, I wish he was sometimes, but the meaning is there. They don't even see me. They see Captain Bridger. It's kinda insulting. I am probably gonna die and it's not even because of anything I did but because of a man who is like a father to me did the right thing and saved some other lives. And because he did the right things, these maniacs wanna kill me!"

"I know."

Lucas turned on Alan. "Why do you keep saying that? You don't know! You can't know!"

Alan smiled sadly. "Yeah, I can. That "scary thing" I went through? Try a home invasion and some jerk who had it in for my father nearly killing me. He tried to knock me into some heavy drilling equipment – that was on by the way – and he did it because my dad was watching. I managed to get out of the situation, but I keep having these nightmares. One of them is that I didn't get out. I fall and I die. And whoever says you can't die in your dreams is a liar. I keep having the dream that I wasn't good enough and I hurt my dad by dying right in from of him. Or I dream that I failed him in some other way and I lose my entire family."

Watching his friend warily, Lucas responded. "Alan, if you had died, it wouldn't have been your fault. There was another party who was responsible. And your family is OK. They love you, your dad loves you. I could hear it in what he was saying last night. My father – Lawrence Wolenczak, that is – can't be bothered to raise me, forget worry about me. Your dad loves you and just wants to protect you."

It was as if Alan wasn't even hearing Lucas. Biting his lower lip, the younger boy shrugged his shoulders. "I was always afraid. Afraid of not being good enough, smart enough, worthy enough to be a member of my family. You know, I can't remember the last time I told my father I loved him before this morning. We aren't real big on that in my family. I always knew they loved me, but I was afraid that I was a disappointment to them. Even today, I froze when that guy pulled the gun. I should have fought. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."

Lucas placed an arm around Alan's shoulders. "Al, it was a gun, one they were not afraid to use. Ben…Ben tried to fight them and they sh-shot him." Lucas drew in a deep breath before continuing. "I am glad they didn't shoot you as well. Who would have defended me when those two goons tried to hurt me earlier? You broke the one guy's jaw! And that other guy just crumpled when you smashed his knee! If that third guy hadn't pulled a gun, you might have taken out even more of them."

Alan gave a soft chuckle. "Yeah, Scott…Scott will be glad to know I took his lessons to heart. "Al," he said. "Don't worry about fighting dirty. Just worry about fighting to get out of harm's way." I want to be like my brothers, like my dad. I mean, they are my heroes. I know they are coming for us. I just hope they come in time."

Nodding, Lucas allowed himself a small smile. "Yeah, the crew will be coming too. These jerks aren't gonna know what hit them." Nudging Alan, he gave a watery chuckle. "Of course, they didn't know what hit them with you either, did they?"

Sharing a conspiratorial grin, Alan shrugged again. "That is not an uncommon phenom my friend. Not uncommon at all."

Leaning back in the darkness, the teenagers knew it was all a waiting game now. They had been reduced to pawns on a chessboard and they were helpless until the next move was made.

**_a/n - so the two families have broken up into teams. they will begin to work together to get the job done. And Alan isn't as strong as he likes to pretend he is. You are seeing the chinks in his armor. Lucas is showing how supportive he can be as well. With all the characters in the story, I am concerned Lucas isn't getting as much time as I'd like. But I don't want to do an epic novel. Did that once. Took forever. But I did toss an idea for a sequel with QuestFan and it would limit the characters more, and give a bit more time for Lucas to shine. Being a genius can't always save the day. And being the cocky, athletic kid from a family of heroes may not be enough - without the family to back you up. Especially with a psycho like Stark. More will be coming soon. Hope you are enjoying the story. I know I can't please everyone, and while I welcome constructive criticism and gratefully accept corrections, where I take the story is not where others might. Sorry. Am I starting to ramble? But this has been the snowiest December on record for New Hampshire and I have a bad cold, so a touch grumpy. As always, reviews are welcome and highly desirable. - CC_**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine – Lessons My Father Taught Me**

**_Dislaimer - I do not own seaQuest DSV. If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with the Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, because then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series._**

Scott Tracy leaned back in the chair. How many low-lives in how many waterfront dives did they have to talk to before they found someone who knew _something_ about Alan's disappearance? They had the combined technology of International Rescue and Tracy Enterprises, the wealth of the Tracy family and the knowledge of some of the best minds of the UEO. And they were getting no where.

Virgil looked over at his brother, watching him much as one would a mad bomber – a combination of wary respect and certainty of impending doom. "Scott?" Once he knew he had his attention, the middle brother continued. "We are going to find them. I know we will."

Closing his eyes, the eldest Tracy son spoke in a voice he never let any of his other brothers hear; the one that reflected his doubts and fears. "I can't remember the last time I told him I loved him. I use to tell him that. He was our baby, our little Allie. I remember up on Five, I promised myself if we got out of that, I'd tell him I loved him. I swore, if we got the chance, I would tell him how important he was to me. You know what I did instead? Taught him self-defense moves. Told him I wanted to make sure he could defend himself better than he had. I saw the look in his eyes – Alan thought I was disappointed in how he had handled himself. God, Virg – the kid had been amazing. He bought enough time, led two other kids even younger than him against those animals, constantly thinking, working every angle to try and save them and us."

"I know. I watched the security tapes, too."

"That point when they had the kids trapped in One's silo? Using his rock-skimmer toy to hit the button to get away? The snarky way he was talking to the Hood?" Scott opened his eyes, shocking Virgil with the glimmer of tears. "Hearing the Hood's henchman giving the order to turn on the boosters. Those kids could have been burned to a crisp. We could have lost him. I can remember the day of the avalanche. Covering Alan and John with my own body, knowing that Mom was dying somewhere behind us. I swore that day I would do whatever it took to protect my brothers, especially Allie. I just feel like I failed him."

Virgil shook his head. "Scott, you have always done your best to protect Alan. If you had been here it would be you in that hospital fighting to live instead of that officer – what was his name? Ben? It would have taken someone shooting you to get Alan away from you. As soon as Dad told you what happened, you had us gathered and in the air in ten minutes. You wouldn't let anyone stop us from getting to Dad and now we are in the position to get information to save Alan. We can do this."

Scott caught sight of Ford returning to where they were seated. At the disappointed look on his face, he knew that they had struck out once more.

* * *

Tim O'Neill was fascinated by the program John was running on his computer. "John, this shouldn't be possible. I mean, I haven't heard of this technology. Is this going to be offered to the UEO soon?" When John muttered something about "getting all the bugs out", Tim raised an eyebrow in disbelief. It was obvious that the program was working perfectly and was far beyond any known technology. What were the Tracys hiding? He looked over at Gordon who simply smiled and shrugged. There were no answers forthcoming on that end either. 

The three younger men had moved into Alan's bedroom. Jeff Tracy had encouraged them to pursue their work away from the Intel people in the lounge area. It wouldn't do, he had whispered, for anyone to suspect that they were starting their own investigation. An investigation that was stagnated until they could obtain more data.

"Damn it, why won't they call again!" Gordon muttered angrily. While John and Tim were reviewing the previous vid-call, trying to pull out another clue to the whereabouts of the teenagers and their abductors, Gordon had been playing with Alan's own laptop. He ignored the pitying looks the other men gave him. He knew they were scared and frustrated, too. But Alan was his only little brother, the other half of "the terrible two". During the terrifying events of Spring Break, Gordon had promised he would try and be a more supportive brother, no, be the _friend_, he had once been with Alan. Looking at the time that had passed since then, Gordon was afraid that he had failed – _again._

Trying to distract himself from his internal pain, Gordon once more tried to access data from Alan's laptop. Randomly trying passwords, Gordon hit an unusual "password hint" screen. When the question popped up "My Heroes are", the fourth Tracy son thought he knew the answer – _Thunderbirds_ – duh. To his amazement, he was kicked back out. Trying again, Gordon decided to be sarcastic. _Family._ To his shock, Gordon found himself accessing the protected file.

John looked up at the choked sob coming from his younger brother. "Gordo? Hey, man, are you OK?" When there was no answer, John moved from his seat next to Tim and made his way over to his red-headed brother. "Gordy? What is it?"

Tim had stopped what he was doing as well to watch the brothers. He sucked in his breath when Gordon raised his tear-streaked face to John. Immediately, the blonde brother sat down next to his sibling and held him much as he had when they were younger. "John…its Alan's journal."

John shook his head. "Gordy, we shouldn't read this. It's private. Al will never forgive us if he finds out we opened this." John's hand had been reaching for the keypad when Gordon's shaky words stopped him.

"He doesn't think he's good enough. He thinks we don't like him." Gordon forced more words out as John went pale. "Allie thinks he's not as good as any of us, that we feel he is a disappointment to us. God, Johnny, how could we have let him think that? I mean, yeah, we were always teasing him, but he thinks it is because we don't approve of him."

John closed his eyes in anguish. He had known from some of the heart-to-hearts he and Alan had enjoyed since Spring Break that his youngest brother was a lot more sensitive than he had let on. He knew that the teasing the other three had engaged in over the years had bugged Alan. It was one of the reasons John had helped Alan with a lot of the hacking they had been doing in the last few weeks. Opening his eyes, John once more reached out and this time shut down the journal program. Quietly, he clasped Gordon's shoulder. "We will find him, we will bring him home, and we will make it right."

"We're his heroes." John's eyes went wide at that. "He said that. He admires _us_; he wants to be like _us._" John read the unspoken words. Alan's heroes weren't the Thunderbirds, but the Tracys.

Giving his younger brother a one-armed hug, John returned to his work. He wasn't going to let Alan down. After all, he was one of the kid's heroes.

* * *

Back on the freighter, Alan stared into the darkness. It had been hours since their abduction. There were no windows in the lower level storage room aboard the old freighter, but he sensed the lack of daylight that he was unable to see. Sometime in the last hour or so, the sun had set. Now was the time to act. 

"Lucas. Lucas!"

Lucas started at Alan's urgent whisper. Somehow, the teen had dozed off. The trauma of the last day had caught up with him and wore him out. But as Alan called out his name softly, he found himself wide awake.

"What do you say we blow this Popsicle stand?"

"And just how are we supposed to do that?"

Alan grinned. "How are your acting skills?"

Lucas snorted. "They suck."

"Well," Alan mused. "Do you think you can pretend to panic?"

Shaking his head, Lucas smiled. "At the moment, I don't think that is something that I would have to fake."

* * *

Elsewhere on the same vessel, George Le Chein sat in the small room he had claimed as his own. He was going through pictures of his son, Maxwell. The boy had been everything to him. But seeing the pain of another had been a slap in the face, making him see clearly how far he had sunk. 

How could he do this to another father? Nathan Bridger had already suffered the same pain that he had, the death of a child. But the man had rebuilt his life, had even found a new family in his life aboard the seaQuest, acting as a father to Lucas Wolenczak. And Alan Tracy? Le Chein had begun to look into the Tracy family through the internex. Little was known about the youngest Tracy son beyond his age – barely fifteen – and that he was alleged to be in a boarding school somewhere in the United States, though some said in New Zealand, closer to the family home in the South Pacific. The last published picture – hell, one of only a handful of pictures of that son, had been at the funeral of Lucy Tracy. Le Chein recalled in great detail his one meeting with the woman. It had been clear Jeff and Lucy Tracy had still been head over heels in love and that they viewed their sons as the embodiment of that love.

The grieving father looked at the picture from the news archives. A member of the paparazzi had managed to get close to the family at the funeral of the tragic young mother. Jeff Tracy had stood, in shock and grief, surrounded by his parents and four of his sons. His youngest son, Alan, had been ensconced in his father's arms, crying. It was clear the little boy finally understood: Mommy wasn't coming home. The father had clutched at his baby as if the boy was his lifeline to sanity. Le Chein could understand why. The boy was the image of his mother.

Picking up one of the pictures that Stark had taken yesterday near the seaQuest, his shaking fingers looked at the images. Fathers and sons, so much love, so easily seen. How could he have visited this pain on another father? George Le Chein stood up. This needed to end now.

* * *

Deep in the bowels of the freighter, the lone guard was startled by a sudden cry in the dark. 

"HELP!"

The guard in the hallway near where the boys were imprisoned cautiously approached the door. Slowly, he edged it open less than an inch. "What is it?" he snarled to Lucas.

"Please, my friend hit his head! I can't wake him up. Please! I know Stark doesn't care about me, but Alan is worth a lot of money to you. You have to help him."

Knowing the room was dark, the guard could easily see how the boy could have tripped and hit his head. The others had been gloating about the luck in grabbing the other teenager. The son of one of the richest men in the world had fallen right into their laps like a piece of overripe fruit. Not only would they be rewarded by Le Chein for avenging his son's death, they would ransom the youngest Tracy son back to Daddy for twenty million dollars. Even if Stark only gave them half, and including the three men who had slipped away for medical treatment – that Tracy kid was really dangerous – that would still be two million per man. Who said the American dream wasn't still alive?

Slowly opening the door, the guard could see sneakers on the floor behind some long forgotten storage items. He began to move into the room…

**CRASH!**

An old half filled can of paint smashed into his head, leaving him dazed. A rapid knee to the gut, followed by being swung into the steel door and he was down for the count.

Alan leaned over the man, checking for a pulse. Sighing at the steady beat under his fingertips, he dragged the helpless man further into the room. Accepting his sneakers back from Lucas' outstretched hand, he slipped them on before motioning Lucas into the hall. "Nice touch with the sneakers, Lucas," Alan muttered. "That got him in position." Lucas just grinned; after all he was a genius. Checking for further guards – and finding none – the teens began their tentative steps towards freedom.

**_a/n - The families are working together, and it may not seem that they are getting anywhere, but wait...In the meanwhile, all of Alan's brothers are important to him, but Scott was like a parent and Gordon was his best friend. Virgil has his own issues, and will exhibit some OOC behavior (which my beta Sam1 LOVED), but those three brothers were feeling guilty. John, if you recall, has been having heart to heart talks with Alan and helping him with the hacking against the other brothers. If he had felt any guilt, I like to think he has worked it out. Jeff was trying to with this "vacation", but if you ask me, this family needs some serious sit down time. Lucas and Alan are making a good team, but you know the expression "It's always darkest before the dawn"? Well, as I figure it, it's probably somewhere around 7 or 8 at night in this part of the story. Dawn is a long way off. So that means things will get worse before they get better. Anyone who has read my work before knows that is my M.O. and like any other evil genius (Sam1's new - repeatable - nickname for me), I rarely change my M.O. So what nefarious plot twist is coming up next? Well, the good news is that between lousy weather keeping me in the house and this cold I can't shake, I am writing this faster than I thought, so I will probably be posting twice a week as a rule rather than the exception. Either that or getting season 2 of seaQuest on DVD has improved my mood. Hey, something had to._**

**_As always, please review. It works better than the cold meds. - CC_**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten – Fathers Draw Closer**

**_Disclaimer - I do not own seaQuest DSV. If I did, the third season would never have happened; neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with the Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, because then it would be the Thunderbirds live action series._**

Jonathon Ford stood back and watched the Tracy brothers tag-team three scruffy sailors who had walked into the Daniel Inouye Memorial Hospital. Nathan Bridger had possessed the good sense to put out a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) for people with injuries like the ones the one man had mentioned. Jeff Tracy had possessed the proper amount of cynicism and included a reward to go along with the BOLO. A "concerned volunteer" at the hospital had noted the injuries and called.

"Don't you find it kinda odd, Virg, that these three just happen to match the injuries Al gave his abductors?" Scott mused as he leaned towards the one with a broken nose.

Resting his hand – and most of his weight – on the second man's broken kneecap, Virgil nodded. Turning to the third man – whose jaw had been wired shut – he asked, "What, nothing to say in your own defense? You know Scott, these guys must be kinda wimpy. I mean, look at them. All this damage done by a couple of teenagers."

"One," whined knee-cap, "it was just the one."

Knowing they were caught, broken nose nodded. "Yeah, that kid was mean. I mean, we just wanted the Wolenczak kid. We were gonna dump the other one. Then when we went to give the Wolenczak brat a few bruises before showing him to the seaQuest crew, that kid went nuts." Breathing deeply by mouth (his nose not allowing anything), he nasally continued, "He elbowed me in the gut, grabbed a metal bar and clobbered Charlie across the face. Doc says his jaw is shattered in three places and he lost five teeth. When Don tried to grab him and the kid kicked him in the stomach and then cracked him a good one with the bar. Right in the knee. Man, you could here the snap of the bone. Luckily, Larry walked in and he had a gun. Grabbed the Wolenczak kid and told the other kid to drop it or he'd drop his friend."

Virgil patted Don's knee, ignoring the man's whimper of pain. "Man, tough break. Anything else?"

"Nah, Larry told us to get to a hospital. Man, I gotta know, how did you know about us?"

Ford interjected, "Your friends let it slip when Stark called to threaten Captain Bridger. You guys made a major mistake. Not only did you take Lucas, but you also abducted the son of Jeff Tracy. You have half the law enforcement of the Western Hemisphere after you."

Don groaned. "I knew it was a mistake to get mixed up with Stark. That woman is nuts – no amount of money would be worth it. I don't know who I want to cream more: her or the bastard who taught that Tracy kid how to fight like that."

Scott grinned evilly. "Hey, loser. Guess what? Bastards have brothers. In this case, four older brothers who are giving you a choice: the location where Stark has our baby brother or I'll give you an up-close and personal demo on the moves I taught Alan."

* * *

Down by the docks, John, Gordon and O'Neill were arguing with the harbormaster in the man's office. "Listen, pal," Gordon snarled. "We were able to pin down a certain signal to being used only on this island, mainly in and around Pearl Harbor. The chances of our brothers being held down here are in our favor." 

O'Neill – who had not corrected Gordon's reference to Lucas as his brother – tried a calmer approach. "Sir, we are just asking you to let us review your records. We think we can find the information that could lead to the rescue of two teenage boys from their kidnappers."

The harbormaster stood firm. "No warrant, no looking at my records. I hope you find your brothers but maybe you should stop playing Hardy Boys and let the authorities do their jobs."

Shaking his head in apparent frustration, John tried one last appeal. "Sir, we gave this information to the authorities. There are multiple agencies involved and they can't agree what kind of donuts to get with their coffee, forget how to pursue any leads."

Looking somewhat regretful but still a stickler for the rules that guided his life, the harbormaster shook his head. "Sorry, but without a warrant, no one is going through these records."

Gordon looked as if he were going to lunge forward when both of his arms were seized. With John holding one of the red-head's arms and Tim clasping the second, they practically dragged him from the office back to the street and around the corner. Once out of sight of the harbormaster's office, Gordon instantly stilled and grinned up at his brother. "So?"

John nodded his head. "Done. Let's get to where I can set up my laptop."

Tim looked at the Tracys, confused. "What are you two talking about?"

Patting the officer's arm, Gordon smiled. "Sorry to keep you in the dark, Tim. But you are just too honest."

They had reached a small diner, entering and moving quickly to the back of the room. Ordering a round of coffee, the three men gathered around John's small computer. Once the waitress was gone, John began to explain to O'Neill. "Tim, we knew that the odds of the harbormaster letting us look at his records were low. And none of the data we needed to look at are available on-line. The records are all kept in-house and are protected. I mean, anything on the internex, I could have accessed from the room. I waited until you and Gordon distracted him to plant a piggy-back device on his computer. Now, we can see what he sees. I drew his attention to me to make sure he couldn't notice it."

Smiling as the data began to fill his screen, John looked at the information, highlighting points of interest. O'Neill shook his head. "You do know this is highly illegal?"

Without raising his head from the computer screen, John shrugged. "So is kidnapping and attempted murder. And once we have the information we need, I will send out a signal disabling the device. No harm, no foul."

"As long as we don't get caught," Gordon beamed.

Highlighting another line of data, John acknowledged his brother's words. "Tracy Industries has some of the best lawyers in the world." At the choked sound from O'Neill caught his attention for a moment, John patted the lieutenant's hand. "Don't worry, Tim. We'll make sure you get good defense as well."

O'Neill leaned back in the booth, slightly in shock. _Who the hell were these guys?_

* * *

In another part of the Inouye Hospital, Kristen Westphalen sighed as she pulled off her surgical mask. Heading for the bank of vid-phones down the hallway, she dialed the number for the hotel. Per Nathan's instructions, her call was instantly transferred to the Tracys' suite. 

Seeing her exhausted face on the screen, Bridger was almost afraid to ask. "Kris, how is he?"

Allowing herself a smile small, the physician nodded. "Ben survived the surgery. I'll be honest with you, Nathan. They lost him once in the ambulance, then again on the table. But Lieutenant Krieg is nothing if not a fighter. If all goes as I think it will, he can be transferred back to the seaQuest when she leaves. He'll be confined to sickbay, but it's better than being alone in a rehab center."

Bridger frowned. "I don't know Kristen. Maybe Ben would prefer to go home to his family while he recovers."

Kristen stilled for a moment. "Nathan, Ben has no surviving family. The last member of his family, his grandmother, died while he was at the Academy. He has you listed jointly with Katie as his medical power of attorney. I thought you knew…"

Captain Bridger sighed. He'd had no idea. Ben Krieg was always so light-hearted, so happy-go-lucky. No wonder the seaQuest, and Lucas, meant so much to the Supply Officer. Like Nathan and Lucas, the crew was the only family Ben had left. Since he and Katie had divorced…

Bridger froze. "Katie…"

Kristen understood instantly. "Commander Ford was going to call her. If it makes you feel better, you can also. In fact, either you or Ford should really call and let her know Ben's status."

Bridger looked over at the Intel people. He and Jeff had covered for Ford's disappearance by saying that the XO was returning to the seaQuest. Not wanting to alert them to his First Officer's true destination with two of the Tracy sons, the captain merely nodded. "I'll do it Kris. Ford is, um, busy."

Ignoring her puzzled look, Bridger promised to call with any news and hung up.

Jeff looked him over. "You didn't tell her about Stark?"

Shrugging, Bridger smiled slightly as he turned from the vid-phone. "Hopefully, the info Ford and your sons' texted to us is good. and the men in the ER are three of the ones involved in the boys' abduction. Because if Kristen were to be the one to catch up with Stark…Let me put it this way – in Kris' eyes, Lucas is her son, much as I view him. And she does have a temper to go with that red-hair."

* * *

Back on the freighter, the kidnapped teens were making their break for freedom. Creeping over the deck of the antiquated boat, Alan led Lucas to the railing. As he began to detach the small lifeboat, Alan muttered in frustration. "You would think if she really had proper backing, that crazy lady – and I use that term _very _loosely, could afford to hold us on a nicer boat." 

"Hey, be glad she is apparently on a budget." Lucas griped. "She can't afford too many henchmen. With the three you sent to the hospital, the one we left in the storage room, and the one I locked in the head, that leaves only…"

"Me?"

The teens froze at the sound of Marilyn Stark's voice. Slowly turning, they were horrified to see the woman pointing a gun at them. "You know, I wasn't sure what to do with you Lucas. Alan, now he is going to be worth twenty million dollars. You, Lucas, are worth more to me dead than alive, so…"

Alan could hear the gunfire somewhere in the back of his mind, but his brain and body had been immobilized by the combined look of pain and fear on Lucas' face. As Lucas' limp form fell over the side of the freighter, he could hear the splash as his friend's body hit the ocean. Stunned, it was simple for Stark to grab the fifteen-year-old and shove him back inside the freighter's interior. _"Oh, God. Lucas, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. Why did I think I could play the hero? I'm so sorry."_

**_a/n - OK - good news: Ben is doing well, they have some great clues and things seem to be progressing well. Bad news: Virgil is stressing, O'Neill is suspicious and Lucas...Not so good. And poor Alan! Major guilt factor time. Other good news - I will be putting chapter 11 out in a few days. Hey, maybe Shudunedus wants to add a second chapter to her defense of Ben club - one for Lucas...Just kidding. _**

**_As always, thanks to my awesome Beta Sam1. Any seaQuest errors she is innocent of, since she only knows it through me. And you know I will fix it if you are right. Proved that, didn't I? So...review, please and make this poor soul with no voice (cold still hanging on, now have laryngytis) a happy little camper...CC_**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Fathers, Sons and Other Missed Chances**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

Jeff and Nathan were still positioned in the sitting area of the Tracys' suite when Bridger's PAL went off. Catching Crocker's eye, Bridger waited until the barely perceptible nod was given prior to heading away from where the Intel personnel were still arguing strategy. Only barely verifying that Jeff was following, he positioned himself in the kitchenette before answering.

"Captain, we have an update for you." Ford's voice came across.

Bridger felt himself relax a little. He should have known his XO would come in for him. "Commander, I knew you would come up with something."

There was a long pause before Ford continued. "Actually, sir, the reward that Mr. Tracy offered, combined with the, shall we say _persuasive _talents of the Tracy brothers got us the name of the freighter the boys are allegedly being held on. It is the _S.S. Chief Brody._ Hospital security had called the police and we had to leave before we could get anything more, even a location for the freighter."

Smiling slightly, Jeff felt the slight vibration of his communicator/ watch. One of his sons wanted him. Checking the signal, he realized it was John. Motioning towards Bridger, he led the way to Alan's room, discreetly calling his second son on the cell in his pocket. Pulling it out once they were in the other room, Jeff made as if John had called him instead. "John, what do you have?"

John spoke up, "Dad, we narrowed down three possible locations. Two boats and one warehouse, all near the main harbor of Pearl. We may need-"

Bridger interrupted. "Is one of the ships the _S.S. Chief Brody_?"

There was silence for a moment when O'Neill – John, like Jeff, must have the phone on speaker – responded. "Yes, sir, one of the ships is the _Brody_. How did you know?"

For the first time in hours, both fathers were able to smile.

* * *

Stark continued to drag Alan into the bowels of the freighter. "You stupid, little brat. I wanted to be able to draw out Bridger's torture far longer than this. Lucas Wolenczak wasn't supposed to die – at least not yet." 

Wracked with guilt, Alan was barely hearing anything that the madwoman had to say. _Lucas is dead and its all my fault. Yes, Marilyn Stark had pulled the trigger but if I hadn't tried to be a hero...Why don't I just accept it…I will never be the kind of man my father and brothers are, the sort of remarkable person that Lucas had been. It wasn't fair. No wonder I'm such a disappointment to my family._

"We need to wrap this up," Stark muttered furiously, shoving Alan into a chair. Turning on the vid-phone, she dialed the number for the hotel.

* * *

"Cap'n?" Bridger looked up from the position he had resumed on the couch to see his Security Chief standing over him. "Cap'n, there is another incoming call, we think it is Stark. But she's asking for Mr. Tracy." 

Jeff turned from the view offered by the open patio doors. Just last night, he and Alan had sat here, talking and happier than they had been in ages. Now the woman responsible for destroying that was calling.

Positioning themselves in front of the vid-phone, Jeff nodded to the Intel personnel. They were going to try and see if they could get anything. The so-called Intelligence Groups had disregarded the data his boys had tried to give them. The father saw no reason to tell them that with the equipment they had, their efforts would be futile. Suddenly, the picture emerged. "Ms. Stark?"

Glaring at the billionaire, Stark shot back, "That's Captain Stark, if you don't mind." The woman ignored Bridger's muttered "_Yeah, sure. In what cracker-jack navy?"_ and continued. "I am sure you are anxious to get Alan back. I am calling with an offer."

"Will that offer include Lucas as well?" Jeff countered.

An elegant brow raised at him, Stark continued. "You would pay ransom for your son's friend as well as your son? How generous, Mr. Tracy. But while I may be willing to toss in Lucas later, the twenty million dollars is for Alan only. I will send the details for the money. Don't worry about gathering such a large sum, or drop-offs. I am going to give you information for an off-shore account and the money will be wired directly to the account."

"What do you want to return Lucas as well?" Bridger asked. "You wanted me to suffer? Well, I am. But Lucas is an innocent boy. He shouldn't be put through this."

Stark snarled at her former mentor. "But at the academy we were taught there were no innocents. Remember?"

"I never taught you that Marilyn. I taught you that it was your responsibility to protect the innocent. Not to attack farming communities or kidnap teen-age boys."

Angry, Stark continued to glare. "I'll consider it. Lucas…"

"Is dead."

All three adults froze. Stark had forgotten Alan was there and he had not been in line of sight for Jeff and Nathan. Throwing himself at Stark, the teenager was pulled back by the two henchmen she had left. One had been freed by Stark and he had been occupied until a moment before with retrieving his friend. It took all of their combined strength to hold Alan back from attacking the former sub captain. Tears streaming down his face, he choked out. "You lying bitch. You shot Lucas. You killed him! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…" Broken, Alan fell to his knees, only the hands roughly clenching his arms keeping him from completely falling to the ground.

Nodding to her henchmen, Stark watched in satisfaction as Alan was dragged from the room. Turning to the ashen fathers on the screen, she smiled coldly. "As you can see, Mr. Tracy, Alan is alive if rather upset with me."

Bending his head, Bridger whispered, "There is no place you will be able to hide, Marilyn. There is a special level of Hell reserved for monsters like you."

Smiling, she leaned forward, as if telling a secret. "With twenty million dollars, I think I can live a very good life until that time. Don't you?"

The screen went dark and so did Bridger's heart. He had lost a second son.

* * *

Le Chein was coming from his quarters when he saw the two remaining henchmen, Larry and Mickey, dragging a struggling Alan Tracy down the hall. He was shocked to see the tears that streaked the teenager's face. "Stop!" Le Chein ordered. "What is happening?" 

Mickey glared at the teenager, knowing this was the kid who had knocked him out with a paint can. "Have to find a secure place for this brat. He attacked Stark."

With more gentleness than most could have ever credited him for, the businessman raised Alan's face with a hand under his chin. "Alan? What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

"She killed him." Alan's broken whisper stunned the older man.

"She killed – wait, Captain Stark killed Lucas?" Alan's weak nod touched Le Chein's heart. Le Chein held his face, placing his other hand on the boy's arm, while, in a dictatorial tone dismissing the two men. "I will take the boy. At least that way, you can be assured of your safety." Ignoring the glares of the men, Le Chein led Alan back to his quarters.

Seating Alan in a chair, Le Chein examined him for physical injuries. "Alan?" The boy seemed oblivious. "Alan, did they hurt you?"

"She killed Lucas."

Le Chein withheld a sigh, knowing the fifteen-year-old was in shock. "I know, Alan and I am sorry. I would stopped her had I known." Brushing a lock of blonde hair back, he gently smiled at the teenager. "I am sorry I helped her. But she came to me and told me my son was dead. Maxwell was my only child and his loss devastated me. I wanted Bridger to hurt as badly as I did. But I was wrong. Nathan Bridger was the better man. He lost his wife and son and rebuilt his life, a life that included Lucas. And your father…I know how much he loved your mother. The night I met them, I could see that. You look a great deal like her, you know?" Alan nodded, he had heard that his whole life. He now knew and understood that was one of the reasons for his father's over protectiveness. "Losing her must have been hard on him. But – he had his boys, yes?" Alan nodded once more. "He found his ways to deal with the loss, yes?"

Smiling slightly, Alan nodded again. Yeah, his dad had found a way. International Rescue. But he couldn't reveal that.

Seeing the teen begin to relax a little, Le Chein smiled at him. "You love your father very much, don't you Alan?" At the boy's nod, the man continued. "You are proud of him? And your brothers?"

Alan smiled again. "They're my heroes." Le Chein couldn't help but smile back. "I mean, my dad could have given up so much after mom died. But he raised us and still built up…his company. And Scott, he is a decorated Air Force pilot but I remember him more for how much of his life he gave up to help Dad raise us. Have you ever heard of my brother, John? The astronomer? He was always kinda claustrophobic, but he overcame that to join NASA so he could be closer to the stars. And Virgil worked his butt off to get his degree as a mechanical engineer. People told him to appreciate his natural gifts as an artist but he said nothing that came easy was worth as much. And Gordy…" Alan paused in his ramblings. "My brother Gordon almost died in a hydrofoil crash. First, they told us he was going to die. Then they said he would never walk again. But do you know he won a gold medal at the Olympics less than two years later?" Le Chein nodded, everyone had heard the story. "My family is amazing, if I didn't look so much like Mom, I would wonder if I was adopted."

Le Chein shook his head. "Alan, you may not have done amazing things yet, but you have to give yourself time to grow up. I am sure your family loves you very much. Have you ever thought that being strong for you, raising and protecting you, was one of the things that let your family do all the amazing things they have done?" The teen looked as if he was thinking it over as Le Chein stood up and looked out the door. "Good, they are gone. Come Alan."

"Where?"

Smiling at the boy again, Le Chein motioned him through the door. "You are going back to your father, Alan. I can not spare Bridger the pain he must be suffering, but I am going to make sure you are returned safely."

* * *

Scott, Virgil and Ford had rushed to the docks. They knew from the information Jeff Tracy had called in that they were oddly closer to the freighter than the other team. Due to the fact that the ship was in fact anchored off-shore, rather than actually docked, they were using a small craft to get out to the _Brody_. As they approached the ship, the trio had gone to silent in order not to alert anyone to their presence. It was a slow, arduous task, not using the motor for further stealth. But it would be worth it to save the boys.

* * *

Alan was once more at the small dinghy attached to the side of the freighter. He tried to ignore the tracing of blood on the railing. With shaking hands, the teen started to help Le Chein detach the boat. 

Le Chein could not help but notice how Alan's hands were shaking. The businessman tried to speak in a comforting tone to the boy. "It will be alright, Alan. We will get you back to your father and he will help you to deal with everything. Let us simply get this boat…Ugh…"

Hearing the groan come from the older man, Alan turned to look at him. George Le Chein was standing there, eyes wide, face pale…He tried to speak, only for a weak cough and a trickle of blood to pass his lips. Le Chein fell to his knees before collapsing on the deck. Marilyn Stark stood behind him, blood lightly splattered on her shirt. Alan looked at the man sprawled between him and his abductor, his eyes frozen on the knife sticking out of the man's lower back.

"Grab young Mr. Tracy, and get him back below." Stark snarled at her henchmen, as she bent down to pull the knife back out.

"Uh, Captain, I think another boat is approaching." Larry muttered even as he pulled Alan's arms behind him.

Dropping the knife, she ran to the other railing. Looking over the side of the freighter, Stark saw he was right. While she could not identify the men by face, she would know the shape and movement of her former XO anywhere. Jonathon Ford and two other men in a small boat. "Hurry, get that boat free." Stark ran back into the interior, returning with a small bag. "Get him in there before Ford can get any closer."

Ford? Alan pulled himself out of his shocked state. Commander Ford was coming? His family would be better but…"Commander Ford! Comman- Umph!"

Larry had clamped a rough hand over Alan's mouth, before forcing the boy into the boat. Once they were all in the small vessel, he thrust Alan towards Stark and began to help Mickey in lowering the boat into the ocean. Stark kept one hand over Alan's mouth and used the other to jam a gun into the back of his neck. Tears filled his eyes as he heard people scrambling aboard the freighter. As the boat slipped into the night he could hear voices as the body of George Le Chein was found. Alan would know those voices anywhere. He had been a heartbeat away from Scott and Virgil. Despair began to overwhelm the teenager as hope was once more snatched away from him.

**_a/n - OK. Hmm. Well. Let's see. I have emotionally devestated Nathan, totally traumatized Alan (Sam1 said she hated Stark for how she had caused Alan such pain. yeah, right, see! it wasn't me!) and yes, that was a major owie time for Le Chein. OK - question time: the name of the freighter is a reference to what (an no one say James Brody from season 2, because his name was drawn from that as well)? cyber cookie (and I am a really great cook) to the first right answer. _**

**_yes, I am updating even earlier. I was actually sent home as I can not speak at all and am in a lot of pain. The sinus infection that led to the laryngitis? It has caused damage to my throat and vocal cords and I am not able to speak at all for five days or risk permanent damage. The good news is that I am on some real good medication. And thankfully, this story, which will be 18 chapters to include the epilogue, is complete, save beta and the tweeks I constantly put my chapters through. But that doesn't mean reviews should stop, right? So send the sickie a review and make me happy. Oh, and I am planning a sequel, but can not decide on a villain. I'd like to use another seaQuest one, needs to be season 1. Any suggestions? Send me a PM with that. I am soooo bored. Thanks - CC_**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – A Father's Heartbreak**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

Virgil Tracy cautiously followed his oldest brother and Commander Ford onto the deck of the aging freighter. He had to admit to being annoyed with both men, after they had simultaneously told him to stay in back. Could they honestly blame him for wanting to dash onto the boat? Every big brother instinct had flared when he heard Alan's voice. The only thing that stopped him from laying into Scott was the look in his older brother's eyes. Scott had helped raise Alan; he was as much a parent to the baby of the family as Jeff. Scott had wanted to race on board the freighter as well but knew it wasn't sound strategy.

Ford didn't look back to the Tracy brothers. They were anxious to try and get to their little brother. All of the men had heard Alan's panicky cry. But why had he called to Ford? If he had seen the small craft approach, surely he would have recognized his brothers over a man he had known for only a couple of days? All the commander could surmise was that Stark had seen him and said something. But why hadn't Lucas said anything? He knew Lucas could be quiet but he also knew the kid had quite the set of lungs if need be. _"Please let Lucas be OK; Captain Bridger couldn't handle losing another son._" Ford pushed aside his own feelings; the protective ones that all of the senior crew – heck, most of the seaQuest, felt towards Lucas. The teen might have been a genius, but his cockiness hid a vulnerability that brought out a "big-brother" streak in the military personnel.

Scott scanned the deck of the _Brody_, anxious for any sight of Alan. What he saw caused him to suck in his breath. Gesturing to Virgil and Ford, he led them over to a crumpled body by the rail opposite of their entry point.

Gently turning over the body, the Tracys looked at Ford in surprise. The man that their father had identified to them as George Le Chein was revealed to them. A bloody knife next to the body explained the blood soaked back. Virgil reached out a tentative hand to check the pulse, when the man's eyes suddenly flew open.

"Wh-who are you?" the man whispered shakily.

Virgil looked down at him before responding. "Mr. Le Chein? I'm Virgil Tracy and this is my brother, Scott. And that's Commander Ford from the seaQuest. We're here to rescue Alan and Lucas. We'll get you some help as well, but…"

"Gone."

Ford gave his best glare, not seeming to appreciate that Le Chein was beyond intimidation. "What is that suppose to mean? Gone? Gone where?"

His breathing becoming more haggard, Le Chein continued. "Stark had two men left. The others had gone to get medical care."

Scott smirked. "Yeah, we found the others."

Nodding, Le Chein said, "Stark took Alan, her and the other two men. I was trying to get the boy out of here. He had done nothing wrong. I could not make Jeff Tracy feel that kind of pain. We were trying to get in the dinghy when Stark…well, she surprised me." He coughed weakly, blood coming from his mouth. Looking at the Tracy brothers, he nodded. "You are Jeff Tracy's sons, yes? You look like him." It was the Tracys turn to nod. "I am sorry. But I know you will find him, he called you and your father his heroes."

The brothers closed their eyes briefly to will away the tears that threatened. Yet it was what Le Chein had not said that alarmed Ford. "Mr. Le Chein? What about Lucas? Where is he? Did Stark take him as well or is he somewhere on board?"

Le Chein closed his eyes, overwhelmed by a more than physical pain. "She killed him. Alan saw it all. The boy was devastated." With a last shaky whisper, he begged, "Forgive me my sins…" Suddenly, his face lit up and the pain seemed to drain away. "Mein kind. Maxwell…" His eyes closed once more and his body went limp.

The Tracys looked over at Commander Ford. His face was a stone mask but the agony was all too clear in his eyes. "Lucas…" he whispered. Scott placed a comforting hand on Ford's arm.

* * *

Chief Crocker walked over to where Bridger sat with Jeff, both men quiet and solemn on the couch, unable to say anything. "Cap'n?" When the man raised his eyes to his security chief, Crocker kneeled before him and placed his hands over his captain's clasped hands. "Cap'n, Commander Ford just called it in. Le Chein was still on the freighter. He confirmed Stark killed Lucas, but there was no sign of a body." 

"And Alan?" Jeff asked.

Crocker turned to him. "Le Chein said Stark took him with two of her goons. They got away. UEO security is all over the docks but Stark knows this area real well."

"What…" Bridger's voice caught for a moment. "What else did Le Chein have to say?"

Shaking his head, Crocker returned his attention to his captain. "Cap – the man died shortly after they got there. He'd been stabbed in the back. Said he was trying to get Alan out of there. His dying words were to be begged for forgiveness."

Bridger looked at the picture he had been holding onto all night. "I can't. I can't forgive him. Not now, maybe not ever." The captain got up and retreated to another room. Jeff and Crocker gave him the space he needed. This was a hurt that only time could help. No words could ever make it right.

* * *

John Tracy stood on the beach, watching the waves gently lap against the shore. Bitter tears fell from his eyes. They had come so close. Scott and Virgil were supposed to be able to save Alan. Instead, that madwoman Stark had disappeared with his little brother. He felt so angry and helpless. 

Then John heard the soft sobs behind him. Gordon sat on a bench place at the edge of the beach, a weeping Tim O'Neill beside him. The lieutenant was devastated at the news that his young friend had been murdered. They didn't even know how or why Stark had suddenly killed Lucas.

Catching Gordon's eye, John saw the guilt both brothers felt. As upset and angry as they were that Alan was still in his kidnappers' hands, at least they still had hope that the Tracys would get him back. But the seaQuest crew had lost their "little brother", Captain Bridger had lost his "son". Unable to look at the grieving O'Neill any longer, John turned his blue eyes back out to the ocean. The sight of a dolphin coming ever closer to the shore caught his attention.

"Gordon? I wouldn't think a dolphin would come this close to shore. Is that normal?"

Before Gordon could answer his brother, O'Neill rose and came to stand beside John. "That's Darwin, I'd know those clicks and whistles anywhere. Poor guy. He loved Lucas. It's gonna…" Tim's words trailed off and he dove into the surf.

John and Gordon followed Tim into the water, as the man quickly made his way to where Darwin bobbed in the water. To the men's amazement, a half-drowned, bleeding Lucas was clutching desperately to the dolphin. Taking his friend into his arms, Tim leaned towards Darwin. "Good boy, Darwin. Leave it to you to find Lucas."

A weak cough caught their attention. Lucas whispered, "Yeah, and he didn't even have any music this time." The last word had barely left his lips when Lucas lost consciousness. With John and Gordon supporting him, O'Neill carried the sixteen-year-old to shore. The brothers exchanged one more look, one filled with hope. If a miracle had been given to Lucas' "family", it was not too much to hope that they could be likewise blessed.

**_a/n - OK, first things first - Chief Brody was Roy Schnieder's (Capt Bridger) character from the classic 70's movie Jaws. Way to go HarperC. Oh, and if you don't read the reviews (I like to - and not just mine. You get other readers' insights - very neat.) Shudunedus gave up the trivia that Bridger's character was named for a sub - the Nathan Hale. Woo-Hoo. Trivia is so cool. Second - Le Chein is dead. But, as I phrased it to one person, a good redemption needs a good death scene. So - Stark gave it to him and then I did. And for those not in the know, in the episode The Last Lap at Luxury, where Lucas was among a group of hostages. (I referred to this in ch 2) the seaQuest found them by Lucas playing some music - they were underwater and sound carried so that Darwin picked up on it - that he had "created" by digitally combining a variety of music. _**

**_So to any of you who hated me for killing Lucas, I repeat: I don't do deathfics. Yeah, I know, I killed Le Chein. But I killed the Hood in my other stories, but only once he had served his purpose. Usually, I only kill OC's. I figure it is the same thing my mother always told me: "God and I brought you into this world - we are the only ones allowed to take you out of it." Well, with my OC's - it me me me me me me me. So there. But besides the henchmen, no OCs. So they are up for grabs. As always, review. Still can't talk. Sigh. - CC_**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – A Father's Miracle**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

Nathan Bridger had thought his heart had been broken before. The day Bill had told him that Robert was gone. The long, terrible night that Carol had lain, racked with fever, only to die as the dawn broke and the storm that had kept them prisoner on his island faded away. But as he stood on the small patio of the Tracys suite, looking at the stars twinkling over the island, the pain of his loss threatened to steal the very breath from his body. Lucas had brought so much joy and happiness into what he liked to call his "second life". Bridger wanted to hide somewhere and clutch at his grief until the wall reformed around his broken heart.

Jeff Tracy had watched as the seaQuest's captain had moved restlessly from one part of the hotel suite to another. He recognized the signs of unbearable grief and pain. In the days immediately following Lucy's death, he had spent many a night wandering through their home, or even slipping back to his office and working. Anything but think about how horribly big and cold their bed now seemed. How empty their home was without her gentle presence and warmth. The boys tended to be so quiet, so withdrawn, that it was like someone had replaced his rambunctious sons with five Stepford children. In time, they had begun to bounce back. In an odd way, it had been Alan who had helped his brothers the most. Scott had focused on the baby as a way of getting past his pain, while John and Virgil had appreciated how Alan had just liked to cuddle or sit quietly nearby as they read or played piano. And when he was with Alan, Gordon had stopped feeling bad about not feeling bad. Gordon had begun to joke and laugh again, at least with his little brother. Even Jeff found himself occasionally slipping in to simply watch his youngest sleep, on the nights the pain threatened to overwhelm all of his senses. But unlike the Tracys, Bridger had no where else to really turn to, did he?

"Nathan? I…" Jeff's words were cut off by the excited call from Crocker.

"Cap'n? Cap'n!" Crocker burst onto the patio. A wide smile threatened to shatter the man's face. "Captain Bridger, O'Neill just called, he's on his way to the hospital with Lucas."

Bridger sighed, what could have happened to O'Neill that he needed to get medical treatment? Wait, once second, what did Crocker just say? Afraid to ask, Bridger stared at his security chief.

"He's alive, Cap. Lucas has a gash on his head where the bullet grazed him and some bangs and dings from hitting the water so hard, but the water was cold enough to wake him up. He was hurt and probably wouldn't have been able to make it to shore by himself. But it seems a certain friend of his was looking for Lucas as well."

"A friend?" Jeff asked, puzzled.

A smile crept over Bridger's face. "Darwin, someone must have told Darwin that Lucas needed help. Darwin loves Lucas, and must have wanted to help find his friend." Crocker's nod confirmed Bridger's theory. "What hospital are they going to?"

"Daniel Inouye Memorial Hospital, same one that Krieg is in."

The two seaQuest officers looked over at Jeff Tracy, who waved them off. "Go on, go see Lucas. I have to wait here for…someone to call. I just have to hope it is one of my boys before its Stark." Bridger looked back at the billionaire, who had wandered over to the patio wall, staring up at the stars and tuning everything else out. Just as there had been no words Jeff had been able to say to Nathan, now there was nothing Nathan could say in return.

As the other man's footstep faded away, Jeff felt the tears of anguish once more prick at his eyes. Clutching Alan's watch closer to him, he looked up to the heavens, picking out the star his son, John, had named for Lucy Tracy several years ago. _"Lucy, he got his miracle. Please, help us get ours. Watch over our baby, watch out for Allie. We need him back, we need our little boy."_

* * *

Ford had taken charge of the inquisition the authorities were trying to give them. "Listen, we told you what happened. Stark tried to kill Lucas Wolenczak, she killed George Le Chein and she still has Alan Tracy as a hostage. You need to lay off of us and find that psycho before she hurts him." 

An FBI agent snidely asked, "How do we know one of you three didn't murder Le Chein in retaliation for the kidnappings? How do we know we won't have Stark's body wash up on shore in a few days?"

Scott eyed the man coldly. "She has our little brother. Until we get him back, Stark is relatively safe. If she hurts him…"

"Get in line, big brother," Virgil stated. "Get in line."

"Not to mention, it was all recorded." Heads whirled as John Tracy walked up to the agent. John had joined his other two brothers while Tim and Gordon had followed the ambulance carrying Lucas to the hospital. "If you would be so kind as to follow me." Not looking back to see who would follow him, John made his way back into the interior of the freighter.

Sitting in front of a computer terminal, John nodded at the equipment. "Stark had this freighter wired. She could randomly spy on much of the boat without ever leaving the room. From what I can tell, she had some equipment hooked up, portable stuff she probably took with her. But she was recording and saving some of the info she monitored." The second Tracy son showed a selection of files, and began opening them. Everyone present flinched when she coldly shot Lucas – even knowing he was alive and receiving medical treatment was little comfort – and gasped when she stabbed Le Chein. Ford shook his head. "I served under that woman. She was always cool, almost cold, but I never thought…I mean, I never thought she was capable of that kind of behavior."

Scott shrugged. "Anyone who is willing to risk starting World War Three to assure a place in the history books is a person for whom the moral codebooks most of us live by are considered luxury reading and not worthy of her time." Having been watching the stabbing of Le Chein carefully, Scott had noticed something. "John, why did you cut off that video?" Before John could deny anything, Virgil leaned over to restart the scene. Once more they flinched at the stabbing of the businessman but the Tracys focused on Alan's reactions. His horror, then his shock… It was obvious the kid was traumatized; while few physical injuries had been bestowed upon him, emotional pain was running rampant. John winced as a henchman pulled Alan's arms roughly behind him. Ford tightened his jaw when Alan called out to him. Scott's face became like stone, except eyes that burned with the fires of hell, when the villain holding Alan brutally cut off the boy's cry for help with a bruising hand pressed against his little brother's face. Virgil had begun to crack his knuckles. Seeing the terrorized teenager forced into the boat, then held by Stark, one hand clutching his mouth shut so tightly you could see bruising already beginning from her fingers; while in another hand, she had a gun pushed behind his brother's neck. The small lifeboat disappeared over the side of the boat and out of camera range. Within minutes, you could hear the rescue party board and Scott and Virgil's words.

Pushing back from the monitors, John glared at the FBI agent. "Now, I can appreciate your concerns. But this evidence clearly shows Le Chein's murder at the hands of Marilyn Stark, who in turn is holding Alan Shepard Tracy, age 15 – just 15, people – for a 20 million dollar ransom. She has shown no hesitance in killing or trying to kill other hostages or cohorts. Alan is in a great deal of trouble. And since you people are so busy trying to do everything in coordinated protocol, all I have to say is that is our world you are risking by not focusing on getting Alan back to us. So stay the hell out of our way. You can make the arrests. We just need Alan back.

As the oldest two Tracy sons left, John to meet back up with O'Neill and Gordon, while Scott began to strategize with Ford for the best place to start their search, Virgil, bringing up the rear, was stopped by the once snide FBI agent. "Hey, I am sorry, but look at it from our POV." He sighed then looked puzzled. "But tell me – what world does your brother feel we were risking if you fail?"

"Alan," Virgil nodded at the silence. "Our baby brother is our world. He is too precious to be otherwise. After we lost our mother, our comfort, our joy, was Alan. We can't go through that again. So you see, if we lose Allie, our family's world would shatter along with our hearts."

He walked away, leaving the stunned agent behind him.

* * *

Nathan Bridger ran into the hospital, where he was met by Gordon Tracy. "Captain Bridger? Lucas wasn't that badly hurt, so they already moved him up to a room. Please, will you follow me?" Bridger happily followed the red-head, comforted in the knowledge that Crocker was coordinating the needed security to keep Lucas safe. 

Opening the door Gordon indicated, Bridger sucked in his breath. Lying in a hospital bed, bandages wrapped around his head, chest and left arm, an IV drip attached to his right arm, and a monitor showing the gentle beat of his heart, was Lucas. Later Bridger would say he couldn't recall how he crossed the room. All he knew was that he was now seated on the bed, reaching out a trembling hand to touch Lucas face, marred with light bruises and scrapes. Suddenly, Lucas opened his eyes and smiled at the captain. "Hiya."

Holding back the tears, Nathan gently brushed back the blonde hair that stuck out from the bandages. "Hey, kiddo. Let's skip the next conference, OK?"

Still smiling, Lucas nodded, then asked, "Where's Alan? Did they get him yet?"

Gordon, standing near the door, and Tim, who had been seated on a nearby bed, went to stand together. "Captain Bridger, Lucas, we need to get going. " Tim spoke to his crewmates. Nodding, Gordon agreed. "We got back your family's little brother. Now we want ours back as well." The two former WASPs left the room.

"Never saw O'Neill act so macho, nice look for him." A soft voice from the next bed drew Lucas and Nathan's attention. Kristen, who had been standing by a curtain dividing the two beds, grinned and pulled back the curtain to reveal a smiling figure in the next bed.

"Ben!"

* * *

"Captain Stark, we have the van just up ahead," Larry told Stark. 

Stark looked around the area. "We can't keep him with us, the UEO may still be doing searches of vehicles - we need to find a place to stash him."

Mickey spoke up. "Captain, I have a great idea where the brat can go until Daddy Tracy pays up." Wrenching Alan's arms, now tightly bound with a rope from the life boat, in a cruel twist that caused the teen to gasp in pain, he dragged Alan towards some caves near where they came ashore. Tossing a vicious grin behind him, Mickey added, "As long as the money is paid up promptly, he should be safe. And if not, we'll not have to worry about him testifying, will we?"

**_a/n - There! We not only saved Lucas, but gave an emotionally deep moment between him and Bridger. And Ben is awake and there in Lucas' room. OK, so maybe he should have been unconcious a bit longer but I am going with the theory that he is a real fast healer. Or at least resistant to drugs. That would wake him up sooner. And oh, yeah, Alan is in a lot of danger. LOTS! Hope you are enjoying the story and the faster pace. I know this chapter is short but it just felt right to end it there. And yes, Mickey is mean. You have no idea how mean yet, but you will. My voice has begun to return, but I am still not to use it anymore than need be. So...I don't have to say it aloud, you know what I want...little blue button, feedback, baby! - CC_**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Prayers of a Father**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

Jeff was using Alan's computer as a vid-phone, so that the line to the room would remain open. Stark still hadn't called. He had arranged everything with his chief accountant. With a few keystrokes, twenty million dollars could be sent to any financial institute anywhere in the world. Jeff's secretary had called him in tears. Ann-Marie had been with him for twenty years and adored Alan as if he were her own child. She told him that the news was all over the vid. They had been receiving well-wishes all night. Night? That's right. New York was how many hours ahead of Hawaii? He couldn't think. Here it was 2130 hours – nine thirty at night. Alan had been abducted nearly ten hours ago. What had that witch been doing to his son?

Nathan Bridger had called Jeff, assuring him that Lucas was recovering nicely, and that Lieutenant Krieg was now awake. If all went as planned, Bridger wanted to transport them both to the seaQuest within the next twenty four hours. He had to agree that it would be easier to protect the two there. It was the same reason he wanted to get Alan back and return to Tracy Island. There Jeff could keep the media vultures who were already circling away from his boys. There his sons could watch over each other as they had for years. There…Hell, there he could get a decent cup of coffee. Jeff set the acidic brew down. If he could pick a torture for that Stark woman he would make her drink this stuff every day for all eternity.

Looking at the now blank screen, Jeff thought about the call he had received before Bridger's. Brains had followed up on the information on the van that had originally been used in the kidnapping. He was thoroughly annoyed at the police for only recently checking on it any further once it had been determined that it was stolen from a rental lot. He was exasperated that they had initially ignored John's suggestion to try and trace the On-Board Assistance system. But mainly he was furious at the company's refusal to hand over the tracking data without a warrant.

And he was very happy that Brains had been able to hack into their system and trace the signal. He now knew that the signal had been stationary near the docks for hours – presumably the time Stark and the others had been on the freighter. But Jeff was relieved that once more the two teams were on the hunt. Scott, Virgil and Ford were tracking the van as it headed away from the docks. John, Gordon and O'Neill were scanning the area near where the van had been parked. Just as they had split up, they could not take the chance that Stark, her two henchmen and Alan were all together.

His boys had never let him down before. And with the stakes so high, he knew they would not fail him now.

Any other result was simply unbearable.

* * *

Mickey had always had a cruel streak in him. Some people would suggest there may have been a child hood abuse or trauma to cause such viciousness. In truth, his parents had been good, decent people and his younger brother was proof of that. Mickey had enjoyed picking on and abusing anyone he could for most of his life. Handling Alan as cruelly as he could, doing his best to hurt the boy as much as possible was actually fun to him. This kid had been blessed with it all – money, the best schooling, good looks and a family that would pay anything, do anything to get him back. He bet no one had ever been mean to the kid his whole life. 

It was time Alan Tracy met the real world.

Pulling Alan by the arm so fiercely the boy could feel his shoulder pull and burn like it was on fire – if it wasn't dislocated, it was close – Mickey proceeded to push Alan into the belly of the cave. Weakened, exhausted and scared, Alan was unable to catch himself when he fell. With his arms tied behind his back, he fell head first into the rock wall. Dazed, Alan slid down the side of the cave until he sat, sprawled, on the rocky, sandy floor.

Larry glared at the teenager, observing the trickle of blood on the boy's forehead with disinterest. "What, one of us has to stay here until Daddy Bigbucks pays up?"

Stark snarled, "No." Looking around, she observed the remoteness of the site. "Just to be safe, tie his feet and gag him. I'll be waiting in the van." Turning on her heel, she stormed out of the cave.

Detaching the wiring from some debris that had long ago washed into the cavern, Larry bound Alan's feet, ignoring how the wiring cut into his sockless ankles. Using a pocket knife, Mickey tore up the ski mask that was still in his back pocket. Taking a strip of the material, he shoved some in Alan's mouth and stretched the material to tie it behind his head. Once Larry had completed securing Alan's feet, he got up and followed Stark out of the cave.

Once he was alone with the teenager, Mickey menacingly leaned over Alan, whispering, "I didn't forget to mention that the ocean comes into the cave during high tide, did I? Comes in here, goes back out when the tide retreats. You see the water line?" Alan lived on a tropical island, he knew how caves that were tidal pools looked, what depth they went to during high tides or storms. He could see the clear marks on the wall at just over three feet. In his seated position, the water would cover his head.

"Say, your prayers, rich boy. You'll need them." Mickey stood up to walk away. At the entrance to the cave, he turned back to Alan. "Hey, isn't your mother dead?'

Shocked and scared, Alan looked at Mickey and nodded. Grinning, Mickey offered a brief salute as he walked away, "Good. So someone will be waiting for you on the other side."

* * *

"OK." Ford looked at the Tracy brothers from the back seat of their rental car. "Do I even want to know how your contact is tracking the van?" 

Neither Tracy brother answered.

Sighing, Ford continued. "Do I want to know how you accessed the software or got the van's codes?"

No answer.

"Do I even — "

Virgil interrupted Ford. "Commander, is "don't ask, don't tell" still a policy under UEO guidelines?"

Confused, Ford nodded. "Yes, it's still disputed but it is still policy."

Virgil grinned. "So this has nothing to do with sexual orientation but trust us. There are still some things you are better off not knowing about people you have to work with."

Before Ford could say anymore, a white paneled van with Hawaiian plates N19 84H flew past the group. Scott hit the accelerator and flew after the van. As they sped along the thankfully empty streets, Ford grabbed the back of the seat. "Where did you learn to drive? The NASCAR circuit?"

Grinning once more, Virgil turned back to the commander. "Sorry, ex-Air Force pilot. Confuses cars with jets on occasion."

Scott had edged along the side of the van and yelled back to the other, "Hold on!"

Virgil, apparently knowing what was coming, braced himself, while Ford was shocked – and rattled – when the oldest Tracy son slammed the side of the car into the van. "What are you doing?" Ford yelled.

"Don't worry," Scott muttered. "I always take the extra insurance when I rent a car." With one more crash of the two vehicles, the van was off the road and the three occupants were out and running. After a quick glance inside the van to make sure there was no Alan, the three men silently divided themselves up and each targeted one of the kidnappers. The chase was on.

* * *

Dazed and hurting more than he could remember in his life, Alan watched in horror as water began to slowly enter the cave. _"Dad, guys, I'm sorry. This would have never happened to any of you. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I failed you. Tin, what I wouldn't give to be with you again. Fermat, buddy, take care of her for me. I love you, I love you all."_ Tears fell from his eyes only to be absorbed by the gag. _"Mom, you use to promise you would watch over us always. I hope you still are. I hope you are with the guys right now." _The first splash of water trickled near his captive form. _"I love you guys, I'm sorry I wasn't good enough."_

Alan leaned back against the cave wall, trying to make himself as small as possible, as if that would hide him from the encroaching ocean water.

**_a/n - hmm. well, that's not good. This is what I like to call a connector. It's all gonna go on from here. I promise, I will update in a day or so. In the meantime, thank you for any words of concern, I now have my voice back. Unfortunately, it is snowing again. I am a native New Englander, I am use to snow, and usually am not disgusted with it until March. It's January and not even the end of said month. Sigh._**

**_Please review and warm my heart. Something has to be warm. - CC_**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Father's Fears Fulfilled**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_.

The cold feeling that had been chasing Jeff Tracy since approximately the same time Alan had been kidnapped now swamped him. He knew Alan was in great danger. But just like when the Hood had Alan dangling over the whirling turbines of the Mole in the Bank of London, Jeff was once more helpless. This time, he was not forced to watch, trapped behind metal bars. This time, the bars were their lack of knowledge – where Alan was, what had Stark and her men done to him, was Alan even alive? – But the bars were still as unyielding as the cage that the Hood had locked him in.

Lowering his head, Jeff nearly gave in to the despair that had haunted him since this nightmare had begun. But a glance at the picture he had carried as a talisman all day strengthened his resolve. His boys wouldn't let him down. And Alan was coming home. He had to.

* * *

Back at the hospital, the sense of relief felt by the seaQuest's captain belied the armed guards that lined the corridors. But as he watched Lucas sleep, Bridger simply smiled. It seemed as if he couldn't do anything else. Kristen had gone to take a call from Katie. The way his second officer was acting you would think she and Ben were still married. He knew from his own brief conversation with Hitchcock that it had been she who had told Darwin that "bad people had taken Lucas" and that the crew was looking for his friend. That was all Darwin had needed to start his own search. Thank God for that stubborn dolphin. 

"Did Darwin really save him?" Bridger looked up at Ben's whispered question. Standing up, he crossed over to Ben's bed, smiling at his Supply Officer.

"Yeah, he did. That dolphin is gonna be the hero of the seaQuest for weeks."

Eyes downcast, Ben sigh sadly. "At least he saved him. It's better than I did."

Bridger shook his head. "Ben, you took a bullet for Lucas. You were willing to die to save him. We are never gonna forget that." Placing a comforting hand on Ben's arm, he asked something that had been bothering him. "Ben, Kris said that I am listed as one of your medical power-of-attorney. I can see why you had Katie, but why me?"

A smile crossed Ben's face, as he closed his eyes. "You know what always impressed me the most when Bobby – sorry, Robert – would talk about his father?" With his eyes still closed, Ben never saw his captain's solemn head shake. "He always said that he knew that when the chips were down, there was no one you wanted more to call the shots that Nathan Hale Bridger. That when it came to the hard decisions, there was no one you could count on to make them more than his father. So when I had to choose someone to make decisions for me – real life and death choices – I knew that I could count on you to make them for me. I needed a second person, so I put Katie down as well. I like to think sometimes that she still loves me, maybe at least a little." With that, Ben drifted back to sleep, unaware of the impact his words had on his captain.

Bridger watched Ben sleep for a minute, before going back to Lucas. With a lump in his throat, he realized that twice Ben had given him a precious gift. He knew from his late son's friend that Robert had loved him, that he had been proud of him. He only wished that both he and Robert had grown up enough that they could have shared those feelings. Sitting on the edge of Lucas' bed, he swore not to make that mistake with this "son".

* * *

While Bridger watched over his wounded charges, Scott, Ford, and Virgil had split up, chasing down the three fugitives responsible for this nightmare through the sleeping urban neighborhood near the docks. Scott found himself only feet away from Stark when she turned and fired a shot at him. Ducking behind a parked car, Scott pulled a small revolver from an ankle holster and aimed carefully. One shot later, Stark's gun was on the ground and she was clutching her bleeding hand. Rising from behind the back of the car, Scott carefully approached her. 

"What now, are you going to knock me around so you can bring in your trophy?" Stark snarled at the oldest Tracy son.

Shaking his head, Scott went to reach for her arm, saying, "I was raised to never strike a lady." With a rapid movement, Stark attempted to snatch the revolver from his right hand. Introducing the disgraced sea captain to the left hook the Air Force had taught him, Scott shook his head. "But you are no lady, are you?"

As Scott carried the unconscious Stark back towards the van, Ford was almost on top of Larry when the man dodged and jumped onto a lowered fire escape ladder and began to climb up. Commander Ford quickly followed but was always a few steps behind. Four stories up, Larry stood on the edge of the fire escape and tried to jump to another one in an attempt to escape. Falling, the kidnapper grabbed the metal in a desperate strike at survival.

Reaching out a hand, Ford implored the man, "Take my hand if you want to live."

Shaking his head, Larry glowered at the officer. "Why do you want to save me? We killed that Wolenczak kid. We left the Tracy kid to die."

Feeling bile in the back of his throat at the man's last words, Jonathon focused on what was in front of him. "Lucas isn't dead. He was only grazed when Stark shot him. And if you tell us where you stashed Alan, maybe we can save him. We know Le Chein was murdered by Stark. You haven't killed anyone yet."

"I killed that guy that was with the kids. The one that tried to stop us. Shot him right in the chest."

Outraged, it took all Ford could do not to strike at the man. He may not always see eye to eye with Ben, but the man was good at his job and he had nearly died trying to protect two teenagers. Swallowing his anger, Ford repeated his words. "You haven't killed anyone. Ben survived. Lucas is alive. Help us save Alan and I will tell the authorities that you cooperated."

Shaking his head, Larry looked Ford right in the eye. "I always said I couldn't go back to jail. I won't live like that again. I'd rather be dead." With that, he released his grip.

With lightning reflexes, Ford grabbed the man by the wrists and began to pull him up. "Nice try. But you aren't getting out of this that easy."

"Why did you save me?"

Pushing the man in front of him, Ford shook his head. "Because I am not you."

Just as Ford was saving Larry's life, Virgil was nailing Mickey with a flying leap that he had perfected playing high school and college football. Roughly rolling the man over, the middle Tracy son assured the man's lack of resistance by firmly planting his knee in the hapless villain's crotch. "I am only going to ask you this once." Grabbing Mickey by the shoulders, he repeatedly slammed the man into the pavement with each word. "Where"…**slam…**"is"…**slam…**"my"…**slam…**"little"…**slam…"**brother"?

Dazed, Mickey tried to focus on the apparent football team that was attacking him. "The…The Tracy kid?" Another slam brought his attention back to the furious young man over him, who now took the opportunity to grind his knee further into Mickey's groin. "Caves. Near where we came to shore. Far South Pearl docks, in Davis Cove. Use to be used for storage by the Navy before the erosion put them too close to the shore. Third cave in." Glaring at the man above him, he muttered. "Hopefully, you'll find him in time. Wasn't in the best of shape when we left him there."

Thinking of the pain his family was in and the terror his little brother must be experiencing sent Virgil over the edge. Scott might have a great left hook, but Virgil's right hook was even better. As Mickey's two front teeth could have attested to. That is, if they weren't lying on the ground where the man had spit them out after Virgil's stunning blow.

Dragging Mickey none to gently to his feet, Virgil made his way back to the rest of his team. They had to notify the others. Virgil had a bad feeling that time was of the essence.

* * *

Back in the cave where the kidnappers had abandoned their victim, Virgil's bad feeling was becoming a frightening reality for his youngest brother. Desperate, Alan tried to move away to hold himself up as much as he could. But as the cold ocean water began to swirl around his legs then his waist, his resistance began to ebb. His head was pounding, his vision was blurring, the water was numbing his lower body. and his shoulder felt like it was on fire. The good news was that he could no longer feel the bindings on his extremities that had cut into his skin. The bad news was that he had a strong suspicion that soon he would no longer feel anything. As dark spots danced in front of his eyes, Alan prayed that it would be over soon. 

"_Oh, Allie. Baby, you can't give up. Your brothers will be here soon."_

Blinking, Alan stared at the impossible sight before him. "Mom? Am I dead?"

Smiling gently, Lucy Tracy reached out to touch her youngest child's face._ "No, Baby, you're not. But you have to hold on. Your brothers are coming for you. They love you, your father loves you. Oh, my little one – don't you know how precious you are to them? You are their strength, you are their joy. Be strong for them once more and hold on."_

Tears ran down his face as the water now swirled around his chest. Alan never even considered how he could be talking to his mother. Between the gag in his mouth and the fact that she was dead, this really shouldn't be happening. "I've missed you, Mom."

Tears in her eyes, Lucy smiled at her baby boy once more. _"I've never left you, Baby. I promise. I am with my darlings always." _Looking away for a moment, she touched Alan's cheek once more. _"They will be here soon. They will get you help. And maybe another miracle or two can be had for the Tracys before another sun rises."_ At her cryptic words, Alan blinked.

As the ocean water met the bottom of Alan's chin, he looked around. He was alone. And apparently, delusional. But if that was the case, why did his cheek still tingle from where she had touched it? Any thoughts were rapidly driven from Alan's mind as the water began to splash against his face.

* * *

Searching the beach near where they had found the abandoned life boat from the _Brody, _the second rescue team was startled as O'Neill's PAL signaled an incoming call. Raising the device, he acknowledged. "O'Neill." 

"O'Neill," Commander Ford's voice came through. "The kidnappers have been rounded up. They said they left Alan in a cave. Far South Pearl docks, in Davis Cove." O'Neill smiled at the Tracy Brothers – they were just down the beach from there. But there was something about those caves… "Apparently they use to be used for storage by the Navy before the beach erosion became a problem. He's in the third cave in."

Even as Ford finished, Tim had become pale. Without a word he began to sprint towards the caves. Gordon yelled after him, "Tim – what's the problem?" He knew he was relieved. They knew where his little brother was. His relief ended at the words Tim yelled back.

"Those caves flood during high tide." Gordon, usually faster in the water than the shore, made as if he were in the ocean rather than on the beach, almost catching up to O'Neill by the time John shouted out his own question.

"When is high tide?" His heart stopped at his brother's response.

"Five minutes ago."

John proved why he ran track for Harvard as he passed his younger brother and caught up with O'Neill to reach the caves.

**_a/n - hey, this was a fast update, right? I gave Ben a great scene, I let Alan see his mother, I got Virgil to beat the stuffing out of Mickey and, well, I may have drowned Alan. But everyone is heading for the rescue, right? I promise, update no later than Monday morning. I just need to do a few things (three loads of laundry, my Dad's b-day present, proof my daughter's writing assignement, get some sleep...well, maybe skip the last one.) As always, thanks to my bestus beta Sam1 - who I PROMISE I will start the sequel soon. I just need to rest a touch. I told you what yesterday was like...For those not in the know, ya ever had one of those days? Well mine was January 18th. And it was horrible. Nothing truly horrid. No one died, or was even badly injured. But I think it is better to be bitten once by a rattler than a million times by a tick. So...make me smile, and I will try not to be as evil as I can be. But if Questfan keeps on about warmth and sunshine and beaches while the predicted high here for tomorrow is 15F, I will rewrite ch 16 so that there CAN'T be a sequel. Nice reviews for the crazy lady, please. - CC_**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 Father's Prayers Answered**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest DSV - If I did the third season would not have happened and neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with the Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either as it would then be the Thunderbirds live action series._**

At the entrance to the caves, John was initially relieved. While there was water in the cave, it was only a couple of inches deep. Alan would be damp and uncomfortable, but he should be alright. It was only when they entered further into the cavern that John realized that about ten feet in, the cave began a sudden, sharp drop. Alan was not near the mouth of the cave, so…

Raising the battery-operated lantern he had been carrying high above his head, Tim looked into the cave before hastily setting the light and his PAL on a ledge near the entrance. His eyes were drawn to the back of the cave. At the sight of the deep pool of water, O'Neill sucked in his breath, tucked his glasses into a pocket and gingerly made his way into the water. Gordon, who had arrived moments after his brother, handed John his cell phone and hastily followed Tim into the pool. It took three dives before Gordon felt a sneaker hit his outstretched hand. On the fourth dive, the two men each grabbed an arm of the teenager and dragged him to the surface.

John waited at the pool's edge, trying to peer through the shadow-filled water. If this were daylight, they could have found Alan instantly. But with so little light…Suddenly, Gordon and Tim popped up, Alan between them. John reached out to pull his youngest brother onto the relative safety afforded closer to the mouth of the cave. "Allie, talk to me, Sprout." Trying not to be outraged at the still bloody wound on his brother's forehead, or his bound arms and legs, John removed the soaked gag and gently but firmly patted his brother's face. Getting no reaction, he leaned over Alan before turning horrified eyes to Gordon. "Gordy, he's not breathing!"

* * *

High above Earth, on Thunderbird Five, Fermat Hackenbacker was attempting to raise a signal from one of the brothers' watches. His father was busy trying to run a trace on some added piece of information – Fermat didn't know what – when he finally was able to get a signal from Gordon's. At first, the younger boy thought it was an error. All he could hear was the sound of water. Then other noises came through, followed by John's soft voice, calling Alan's name. Fermat leaned back, relieved. They had found his friend. His relief turned to horror when he heard John cry out, "Gordy, he's not breathing!" 

Hearing Brains suck his breath in, Fermat raised tear-filled eyes to his father. "Sh-should we c-call Mr. Tr-tracy?" Brains shook his head. "Wait, s-son. J-just wait." Fermat nodded, knowing that this would be the hardest part of the job.

* * *

Unlike the Hackenbackers, the first team was blissfully unaware of the frightening turn the rescue of the youngest Tracy had taken. Having to wait until the police came for the three kidnappers, Scott, Ford, and Virgil stood guard while the three criminals glared at them from inside the van. Ford looked at Stark, shaking his head at the waste of a good officer. Raising an eyebrow, he commented to Scott: "Did you have to hit her?" 

Scott shrugged. "She tried to grab my weapon and I don't know about you Navy guys, but in the Air Force we prefer not to get shot."

Ford made no comment at that, merely slightly surprised that Scott had even had a weapon. Looking over at the groaning heap that was Mickey, both eyebrows were raised when he asked, "And you?"

Virgil eyed the kidnappers coldly. "I got the information to get to our little brother."

Thinking of the night before, seeing the love their father had shown for said brother, a love they clearly shared, Ford nodded. He may not approve, but he certainly could understand.

Suddenly, Ford's PAL beeped with an incoming signal. "Ford."

"Commander," O'Neill called anxiously.

"O'Neill!" Ford greeted him hopefully. "Any news on…"

O'Neill overrode whatever his superior officer was going to say. "Sir, we need rescue here STAT. We have Alan but he has been underwater for an unknown amount of time. His brothers have begun CPR. In addition, there are lacerations from bindings on his arms and legs, a head injury and bruising of his left shoulder. Possible dislocation. Other injuries impossible to evaluate at this time."

Ford looked at the horrified Tracy brothers with him, just as the FBI agent from the _Brody _and two Hawaii State Police squad cars pulled up. Yelling instructions behind him, Ford jumped into the rental car just as it was roaring away.

* * *

Having brought Ford up to date and assured that paramedics – and the other team – were on their way, Tim made his way back towards the mouth of the cave where he had left the frantic brothers struggling to revive their younger sibling. 

His heart in his throat, Tim silently approached the three Tracy brothers. After hastily freeing their brother from his bindings – Gordon hadn't thought John knew those words as he cut at the wires biting into Alan's ankles – they had laid their little brother flat and begun CPR. Focused on his chest compressions, Gordon never heard what John was whispering to Alan between breathes.

"C'mon, Sprout. Don't do this." _Breath_. "I want to take you camping, just you and me. Between you being away at school and my bitch of a commute, I never get to see you." _Breath_. "And I had thought to ask Dad if you could start your training up on Five. Kinda ease into it." _Breath_. "I know it's not exciting like being on Two or as glamorous as One or Three, but my 'bird has her good points." _Breath_. "Please, baby bro, don't do this. Dad built up "the family business" to get over Mom dying. But if you die, it will kill him." _Breath_. "C'mon, Allie. If you leave us, we're gonna fall apart. The world may need the Thunderbirds, but the Thunderbirds need you."

Suddenly, Alan began to cough. Hastily turning him on his side, John gently rubbed his back in a soothing motion as the sea water and what little food Alan had in his stomach came up on the cave floor. Gently picking his little brother up in his arms, John gratefully accepted help from Gordon in standing. Caught up in getting their brother out of the cave that had nearly been his tomb, the brothers missed the wide-eyed stare that Tim O'Neill bestowed on their retreating forms.

"_I knew there was something unusual about the Tracys, but I never thought…"_ O'Neill didn't complete that thought. It was beyond comprehension but at the same time made him smile. The Tracys were even more amazing then anyone gave them credit for. And, he thought a tad smugly, he was one of the few people out there who could say that they had helped rescue a rescuer. Even though he knew he would have to keep it quiet, Mrs. O'Neill's boy had helped save a Thunderbird.

* * *

Throwing the car into park, Scott and Virgil leaped out, running towards the shapes walking towards them. Seeing the paramedics arrive just behind them, Ford signaled the EMTs to follow him. 

John was gently settling his youngest brother down on the sand just as Scott and Virgil ran up to them. Scott fell to his knees, cradling Alan's still form in his arms. With a shaky hand, he reached up to touch the teen's throat. A tear trickled down his face as he felt the weak but steady pulse under his finger. Gordon and Virgil had fallen into the sand by John, forming a loose group hug but each brother laying a hand on Alan. Suddenly, Ford has his hand on Scott's shoulder. "Scott. The paramedics are here. They need to treat Alan." It took both John and Virgil to convince their oldest brother to relinquish the care of their youngest brother to someone else.

"Scott?" The brunette turned at Gordon's voice. "Someone needs to call Dad. Wanna do the honors?"

The oldest Tracy son took his brother's outstretched phone, their father's number already programmed in. The first ring hadn't even finished when Jeff's voice came over and he was able to give his father the news the man had been waiting all day to hear.

"We got him, Dad. He's alive and we are bringing him in. Alan's alive."

**_a/n - There - saved Alan. I am a nice person, most of the time. And as I figure it, O'Neill KNEW something was up with the Tracys; John only confirmed it for him. I always thought the line from the movie "The world needs the Thunderbirds and the Thunderbirds need you" had more significant than that. It was also the father - and as a result, the other brothers - way of saying how important Alan was to the family. By the way, a cave like that can - and does - exist. A friend of mine nearly drowned in one - in the Phillipines, not Hawaii but I figure, hmm, volcanic islands - the water only was about three inches in the front at the peak of high tide, but almost four feet in the back. But the cave was connected in the back to another cave by a too-small-for-a-person passage that drained the water out. I don't claim to understand the science of it...but I know he now suffers from claustriphobia and won't go swimming or take baths (he does shower so drop the yucks people) and he doesn't go near the ocean - the smell gives him nausea. _**

**_Ok, now on to important things. I am doing the research for the sequel and need some help. I just watched the episode with Schrader and the eco-terrorist (Nothing but the Truth), and while Jackson has been suggested as a possible villain (though I am fairly sure he drowned, but since Ben didn't I guess Jackson could have survived) I was more intrigued with the computer guy with glasses. In one scene, Schrader called him Bowman, but I couldn't catch a first name. Does anyone know if he had one? I would really like to bring him into the loop with some other familiar figures. Please let me know if you know. Thanks for reading - one more chapter than the epilogue. I will have this wrapped up by week's end, I promise. Then on to more agnst and fun times! Um, I mean, then on to the sequel. - CC_**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – A Father's Joy**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_

Jeff Tracy cut through the gauntlet of reporters outside the Daniel Inouye Memorial Hospital, ignoring the questions they yelled at him. He had never liked the media and had begun to actively despise them after one snuck into his wife's funeral. He still cringed whenever he thought of that one picture that had been flashed around the world. Jeff could still feel Alan's tiny arms tightly clinging to him, the tears that fell from Alan's eyes onto his own neck. He had barely let go of his baby since the day Lucy had died and on the day of the funeral, it had been no different. Only after, as friends and family gathered back at the house, and Jeff had heard the whispered comments that whirled around him, had he begun to distance himself from his children. Over and over, people had whispered what a tragedy it was, but look at that youngest, my didn't he look exactly like his mother. Jeff's shattered heart had acknowledged that, and in the twisted sense of logic only grief can produce, had begun to avoid Alan. By the time his own father died nearly three years later, Jeff had unknowingly created a chasm between himself and his youngest that he was still trying to bridge to this day.

So caught up in his self-flagellation, Jeff Tracy never noticed the UEO security personnel who had begun to surround him until Chief Crocker stood in his path. The security chief nodded at Jeff, taking him by the arm. "Mr. Tracy, if you'll come with me, I'll take you to your boys."

As the doors of the hospital swung shut behind them, Shan and a couple of other seaQuest security personnel blocked the reporters from following them inside. One reporter pushed up against them only to be firmly moved back. Glaring at the human blockade, she asked, "Do you know who I am? I'm Ana Nevada from Global News Network. This is the story of the year. Freedom of the press still exists you fools!"

Shan glared at the reporter. "So does personal privacy. Being rich and famous doesn't give you or anybody else the right to intrude on that family."

The reporter glared once more. "People have a right to…"

"To know that Jeff Tracy's son was abducted, he has been saved and is even now with his brothers awaiting their father. There, they know. Now get lost lady, this area has been declared restricted by the order of the Secretary General of the UEO." Shan bit back a smile as the reporter flounced back to the press area. _What a witch,_ he thought. Wealth and fame had caused the Tracys enough heartbreak for the moment. He'd be damned if he let some reporter cause more.

* * *

Alan's brothers had finally been allowed into the room with him. The emergency medicine specialist who had been treating him had thrown them out of the exam room. Between Gordon and Virgil's "hovering" and Scott asking when the doctor would get there (something the rather young female physician had taken exception to), she had ordered all the Tracys out. When John had calmly pointed out Alan was a minor, was in shock, not able to really answer questions and he felt one of them should stay, the doctor had looked him in the eye, nodded and said, "Fine, whatever, you stay. The zoo crew is out of here until I am done with my patient. You interfere, cause me any hassle, you're out of here too, got it?" John nodded, which satisfied his other brothers that he would watch out for their baby brother. 

It had seemed like a long time, but it was less than thirty minutes later that John leaned out the door and motioned for his brothers to come back in. A sleeping Alan lay in the bed, while a nurse adjusted an IV and left the room. At the foot of the bed, the doctor continued to make notes on her electronic pad.

Standing by Alan's bed, Scott held his little brother's hand and brushed a stray lock of hair from his face. Carefully, touching the boy's forehead he gruffly asked his conscious blonde brother, "What are his exact injuries?"

John smiled at the physician. "Dr. Haas? Would you mind?"

The solemn young woman looked up from her notes and returned the astronomer's warm smile. The other three brothers blinked. The terrifying harridan had vanished and…whoa, best not go there. As Dr. Haas continued to smile, she reviewed the data from Alan's records. "Well, Alan is a very luck young man. He has a mild concussion and the head wound was easily sealed. The left shoulder was severely strained, there is some minor tendon damage, but that should heal on it's own; I am fairly sure he won't need any surgery but you may want to follow up on that in a week or so. He has a fractured rib on his left side. The cuts on his ankles were deep but like the head wound, easily sealed. The damage to his wrists and arms were more abrasions than cuts, they will be fine in time. He swallowed a good amount of water, but from what he told us in the short time he was awake, he didn't think he was under water for long. Alan's reflexes are good and given time he should make a full recovery."

Gordon asked bluntly, "Then why is he unconscious?"

Dr. Haas wrote something in the notes as she answered. "Alan was badly dehydrated, nearly drowned, terrorized, and had suffered a head injury. He is not so much unconscious as sleeping. I gave him a mild sedative." Setting down the note pad, she checked Alan's vitals again. "I want to keep him overnight for observation. I understand the security concerns, and I am willing to release him in the morning. Yes, I know you are all EMT qualified and have a full sickbay on your island. Otherwise, I would want to keep him for 48 hours. Now, we are going to move him to a room for the night. I'll inform the charge nurse that visitation rules are going to be bent. So please be good little boys and get out of the nice orderlies' way."

Virgil, Scott and Gordon glared at the doctor as John merely chuckled. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about Dr. Emily Haas that he found absolutely fascinating. Maybe it was her calm dedication to a patient, or the lack of intimidation she had shown in the face of his brothers. Or maybe, he thought, it was the great legs he had seen glimpses of.

* * *

Three of the Tracy brothers followed along behind the orderlies wheeling their little brother towards the elevator, preparing to bring him to the private room the teenager had been assigned for the night, when Jeff Tracy suddenly burst through the doors. At the sight of his youngest laying so still – an unnatural state for Alan if ever there was one – the frantic father clutched his child's hand and brushed back the hair falling into his face. Jeff started at the voice saying, "What the hell is it with you people? I said to stop interfering with hospital personnel and I meant it!" Dr. Haas whirled up to the group, glared at Jeff and said, "Yeah, the father, I am guessing. Alan is going to be fine, but if I see anyone named Tracy interfere one more time with my patient's care, I will sedate the lot of you." Nodding, she motioned for the orderlies to continue into the elevator. At a glance down the hallway, Dr. Haas suddenly grabbed the arms of Jeff and Scott, pushing them in as well. Taking the chance, Virgil and Gordon followed, half afraid the doctor would stop them, but relieved when the door closed behind the family instead. 

"OK, doc, what was that about?" John asked, curious.

Before Dr. Haas could say anything, Ana Nevada tried to stick a microphone in John's face. Pushed back by the irate physician, the reporter shot her a dirty look before beginning to toss questions at the only available Tracy. Not intimidated in the least, Haas motioned towards security, informing the overbearing woman, "This is a secure wing. No unauthorized personnel in here. And if I catch you in here again, remember this – I don't repair damage that I cause. Now get lost!"

As he watched the reporter be dragged out, John smiled. "Dr. Haas – may I call you Emily?" John was surprised and somewhat delighted to see the becoming blush that covered her face. "Please, tell me you are not married, gay or otherwise unavailable."

Emily Haas laughed lightly, pushing back a silky blonde curl that had fallen from her severely pulled back hair. "I am none of the above, but I am also moving next week. This is my last shift here. Sorry." John looked somewhat disappointed until the doctor continued, "However, once I am no longer your brother's physician and if you are ever near New Zealand, we might see if I can make some time. I am starting a new position at a trauma unit in Auckland in ten days"

John grinned. "It wouldn't be Mercy General, would it?" At Emily's confused nod, he continued. "Ah, so you are the new whiz kid Emergency Medical Specialist. I read the report. Once the Tracy Family Charitable Trust donated the funds to expand the Trauma Unit, they have been keeping us in the loop with the expansion news. It makes Dad feel better to know there is a top-notch trauma unit close to Tracy Island. Why, with one of the jets, I can be there in thirty minutes or less. Faster than a pizza delivery. So, once Dr. Haas is no longer my kid brother's doctor, will I be able to talk Emily Haas into dinner and dancing?"

Her answering smile was all the confirmation John needed. Neither of them knew it, but the second miracle Lucy Tracy had promised her youngest was about to be given to the family.

* * *

Even as the orderlies settled Alan into his room, the youngest Tracy son began to wake up. Blinking bleary eyes, his gaze skimmed over his three brothers before settling on his father. With a drowsy smile, he reached out his hand to his only parent. "Dad. Sorry I was late for lunch." 

Chuckling at the small joke, Jeff sat on the bed, maintaining his grip on his baby boy's hand. "It's OK, Allie. You had a good excuse."

"Dad?"

"Yes, Alan?"

"Next vacation – how about skiing? Hawaii has lost it's appeal to me." As Alan began to fall back asleep, he could hear his father chuckle. He woke back up a bit when he heard Virgil say, "Sorry it took us so long to get to you, Sprout. But at least you know now Lucas is alright. And I know that cave was freaky, but if you need to talk about it, we'll all be here."

Alan nodded. John had assured him that Lucas was in the same hospital, and that they would make sure the teens saw each other before leaving the facility the next morning. "Cave was kinda scary. At least until Mom got there." Dropping off at that moment, he never heard all the members of his family, including a newly arrived John, suck in their breath. The four older Tracy sons stared at their father, wondering what he would say.

Dr. Haas, who had arrived with John, looked over her patient again before offering a comforting gesture to the stunned father. "Mr. Tracy, Alan is recovering from a rather traumatic experience. That with the blow to the head could easily make him believe his late mother was with him in a near-death moment."

As most people knew of his family's tragedy, Jeff didn't go into any details. He simply smiled at his son, brushing back the tendrils of hair that were forever falling over the boy's eyes. "Doctor, you never knew my wife. But she loved her boys. All six of us. And Lucy always swore she would never leave us. I believe that she was there. When our baby needed her most, Lucy would have been right there with him." Clutching his son's hand tightly in his own, Jeff was willing to believe such a miracle was possible. After all, hadn't he already been given one that night?

* * *

Early the next morning, Lucas insisted on being wheeled over to Alan's room. Since he had awakened shortly after the dawn he had feared to never see, his first questions had been whether they had found Alan and if his friend was OK. 

Alan sat up in bed, surrounded by his father and brothers, picking at the breakfast tray that had been set in front of him. He ignored the door opening – probably another nurse, but maybe he could get a laugh watching John go all ga-ga for that Dr. Haas again – until he heard a friendly voice say, "Hey Phoenix, thought you would want out of here? Eat that food and it will send you downhill fast!"

At the sight of Lucas' smiling face, Alan dropped the fork he had been dissecting the alleged food with, and grinned. "Frankenstein! Or maybe we should change it to Superman? Stronger than a speeding bullet?"

Touching the bandage covering the stitches on his forehead, Lucas shook his head, wincing at the pain the motion caused. "Nope, but whoever taught Stark how to shoot needs their instructor's license revoked. Thank God." Grabbing a hold of the wheels, Lucas pulled away from Captain Bridger to join Alan. Reaching up, he grabbed his friend's hand. "Well, we made it."

Alan nodded. "Yeah. You know, I was thinking a while ago, an experience like this can either make you friends with a guy forever, or never want to see them again." Bridger sucked in his breath, afraid to say a word. As use to rejection as Lucas appeared to be, he knew how badly the boy would take it if Alan chose the second option. He relaxed when Alan said, "But I decided it was better to have a friend that really understood than to try and ignore the pain or fear."

As the two friends clasped hands, secure in the knowledge that they had the combined strength and will to get through the nightmare they now shared. The teenagers missed the looks the adults in the room shot at one and other. Lucas and Alan would not be the only ones with issues to get through.

Kristen Westphalen and Emily Haas entered the room at the same time. Sighing, Kristen began to look over Lucas, saying, "I went to check on you and Ben, imagine my surprise when I only found Ben. Now, he is being prepped for his return to seaQuest. We need to give you a quick look-see and we'll get you on your way as well." Dr. Haas had begun to examine Alan as well, writing up a list of discharge instructions and prescriptions for her patient when Secretary Noyce entered the room.

"There you are!" His jovial attitude brought slight glares from the fathers and amused looks from the teens. "Now Nathan, I know you will probably being sitting out the rest of the conference, but with half the boat on shore leave, I am hoping I can borrow a few of your senior staff for a few meetings before you sneak away. And Mr. Tracy? I do apologize. We never thought anything like this could happen."

Jeff shook his head. "Next time, I'll see if I can fit in a teleconference Mr. Secretary." His sons snickered at that.

"Um, yes, well. Lucas! I do have some good news for you. The meeting yesterday afternoon that I wanted you at Nathan? It had to do with that anti-hacker program the seaQuest has been using. You will be glad to know, it has been declared an overwhelming success and the UEO wishes to purchase it in order to install it on all its systems. We will be paying you $750,000 for the rights to it. Of course, that will go in a trust until you are eighteen but…"

Lucas frowned. "But I didn't write it alone."

Noyce looked solemn. "Well, who helped you? Because we need to check on them from a security standpoint. And you need to inform them of the sale so that they can agree. And of course, it goes without saying that you will have to split your fee with them."

Grinning, Lucas turned to Alan. "Well, are you OK with the sale? It would mean a big jump from your allowance. Let's see, that would be $375,000 for each of us. Good enough for you?" Turning back to the dumbfounded Noyce, Lucas nodded. "I think that works for us. And since Alan passed the muster to come here, I think his security credentials must be good enough."

Touching fists, the teens crowed in delight, missing the proud looks from Bridger, Jeff and John, the stunned look from Noyce, the amused looks on Emily and Kristin and the highly suspicious looks on the remaining Tracy brothers.

**a/n - _OK, anyone who knows my TB series knows...I did something naughty...I had created some great OCs and hated the fact that I lost them by changing the world (First off, can't use Scott's wife - she was Kate/Katie - bad enough we have John/ Johnathan), plus I would have to bring in Numb3rs with SQ AND TB. A Triplecrossover? Oh, the horrors!) But, I always loved Emily Haas - gonna see her in the future. Hey, John spends 3 of 4 weeks a month up on a space station by himself. Who needs a steady lady more? So with a few changes - Emily is back! (Not big in the sequel, just a few references, but thinking of a thrid story to take place on Tracy Island. She can be there then.) And as for Ana Nevada - man, she was the reporter you loved to hate. With plastic surgery, I managed to keep her in the story for something like thirty years. And she was still a real PIP. (and for those not in the know - that ain't a good thing.)_**

**_Alright, epilogue should be up in a couple of days. And, once some stuff is done - oh, by the way, Questfan, that one web site will be AWESOME - I will get to work on the sequel. Slower updates at first, until I can get rolling. Nothing started until after Sunday. Hey, I have actual real plans for a Saturday night with the hubby. Babysitter, dinner out and high culture (a Manchester Monarchs ice hockey game). Gotta get those batteries recharged, right?! So review and make me happy. - CC_**


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own seaQuest: DSV - If I did, the third season would have never happened. Neither would some of the second. As this is a crossover with The Thunderbirds movie, I do not own that either, cause then it would be the live action Thunderbirds series**_

Alan and Lucas sat in the limo, quietly talking. Across from them, Jeff and Nathan were doing the same. John and Tim kept looking between the two groups and looking at each other, trying not to laugh. They were not sure what was so funny, but this morning it seemed as if everything was.

Suddenly, Alan looked behind him. "Dad, where are the guys and Commander Ford?" The new rental car, having been replaced during the night, had been following behind them.

John smiled at his little brother. "It's OK, Sprout. Scott and the others are just dropping the Commander off at the hotel. He will be sitting in for Captain Bridger for a few meetings starting today."

Lucas stared at his clenched hands. "Captain, if you want to go back to the conference, I'll be OK on the seaQuest."

Bridger reached over to cover Lucas' hands. "Lucas, if I had my way I would be taking the seaQuest back out to sea and as far away from the past twenty-four hours as possible. Speaking of the seaQuest…" As the car pulled up in front of the berth for the sub, Bridger got out and began to collect Lucas from the vehicle. "Ford arranged for our luggage to be sent back – that man is just too organized at times." Alan and John snickered – that sounded like their oldest brother.

As Bridger began to walk Lucas over to a waiting Kristin, Tim O'Neill made to follow. A hand on his sleeve stopped him in his tracks. Tim turned around to see Jeff Tracy standing by the limo, the two blonde Tracy sons watching expectantly.

"First off, Tim, I wanted to thank you for what you did for Gordon back when you served together. I know the rapid response is the only reason we still have him. Second, thanks for all you did for Alan. You and Commander Ford could have stopped looking once Lucas was safe and the Tracys won't forget what you did." Tim was blushing a bit, uncomfortable with the praise. He was taken off guard when Jeff continued. "But last night, when the boys were doing CPR on their brother, Gordon's communicator was on." He tapped at his watch, smiling. "We all wear one. Gordon's happened to be tuned to International Rescue's space station." Tim went rapidly from blushing to a deathly white. "Seems you were there when _someone,_" John shrunk back in his seat, "decided it was a good idea to spill some beans that were not supposed to be let out of a can. But, as my mother always said, if life gives you rotten apples, make applesauce. And it occurs to me, International Rescue could use you."

Tim's eyes went wide. "Me?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Mr. Tracy, how could I help the Thunderbirds?"

Jeff smiled. "I have agents, scattered throughout the world, people who help us to facilitate rescues. IR has no borders, no boundaries. We can help when and where the UEO may not be able to. But sometimes, someone within say, the UEO flagship, would be in a position to supply information that could save lives. You wouldn't be breaking any trusts. But you could do immeasurable good. So how about it? Would you be interested in joining the team?"

Looking at Alan and John's smiling faces, Tim nodded. "Yes, sir. I would be honored."

Shaking his hand, the Tracy patriarch once more smiled at the shy officer. "Then welcome to International Rescue, agent 40." Jeff slipped the younger man a small communications device. "This is a dedicated communicator, absolutely untraceable. You won't regret this, Tim. Oh, and from now on, it's Jeff, got it?" Clasping a hand briefly on O'Neill's shoulder, Jeff waved a last time to Bridger and climbed back into the limo.

As the Tracys drove away, Tim stood there in shock. Beginning his walk up to the waiting Bridger and Lucas, Tim shook his head in amazement. _"It's a good thing International Rescue is a secret organization – because no one would believe this!"_

* * *

Safely back aboard seaQuest, Bridger made sure Lucas was comfortable in the sickbay. Lucas was so busy snickering at the way Katie Hitchcock veered from berating Ben for getting hurt to fussing over her injured ex, that he seemed not to notice he was clearly being made to stay in the bed. As Bridger began to fuss over the teenager as well, the sixteen-year-old became serious. 

"Captain, I just can't understand it?"

"What's that Lucas?"

"Why."

Bridger looked puzzled. "Why what?"

With suspiciously damp eyes, Lucas leaned towards Bridger, who in turn put a comforting arm around him. "Why did Stark come after me; why did Le Chein help her, then try to help Alan; why did all of this happen?"

Nathan hugged Lucas close to him. "Marilyn Stark is a very disturbed person, always blaming others for her own faults. George Le Chein was someone who was grieving deeply and struck out in anger. He regretted his actions later and tried to make it right. As for why you and Alan were caught up in all that, oh, Kiddo…You both hold such precious places in the hearts of your families. If we had lost either one of you last night, the hearts of the family with the loss would have been shattered forever. You are our strength, but that in turn makes you our weakness. And Stark was cruel enough to take advantage of that. Because we love you, Kiddo, and like she said, you aren't my son by blood or law, but in my heart you are as much my child as Robert ever was. Never forget that."

Lucas cuddled closer, drifting off for the moment, secure in the knowledge that the Captain would be watching out for him.

At the same time, a plane was taking off from one tropical paradise to another, and another father sat watching his youngest sleep, still exhausted from the trauma he had endured.

Both fathers leaned back, giving thanks that their hearts were not ripped asunder by the loss of their son, both men grateful beyond belief for the miracle that their son was once more by their side. Silent prayers were shot upward, as they drifted off to sleep with their sons in their arms.

And in the sea, a happy dolphin made his way back to his pod on the seaQuest. His friend was back, his family was back. It was a good thing that pretty lady had showed him where to find his Lucas. There was no music, but the pretty blonde lady had showed him where to find Lucas. He hadn't been able to help Alan, he had seen the boy in a small boat as he helped Lucas but the lady had said it was OK. Her other sons would get their little brother. Darwin had to help his pod. It was good; both pods were together, both pods were happy.

In the end, family was all that was important.

**_A/N- Ah, the end...for now. I will get started on the sequel soon, I have gotten a bit distracted with something I am working on with another FF writer. (Back to Thunderbirds for a moment. Sorry guys. The plot bunny from hell was nibbling at our ankles.) But this story is wrapped up and I hope to have the sequel started by the beginning of the month. In the end, the kids are OK, the dads are OK, and Tim gets to kinda join the Thunderbirds. I love it when the little guy gets a moment to shine. And how do you like the Darwin twist? Sorry, I couldn't resist. HUGE applause to my beta and head cheerleader Sam1 - you rock girl! _**

**_Anyhoo, thanks for sticking around for the ride. It's been fun. - CC_**


End file.
